Another one of my favorites, even if it's kind of uneven. Smooth disco with amazing playing from Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, and Tommy Thompson (if I bothered to learn guitar, I'd want to be able to play like Rodgers does), I can understand this not being most people's thing (some of the songs are kind of half-baked) but also have a soft spot in my heart for it. Favorites include "Le Freak" and "I Want Your Love", obviously, but also the silky instrumental "Savoir Faire" and the closer "(Funny) Bone". (4.5/5)
I have very little experience with Sepultura, besides the other album on the list. This is obviously interesting for the genre. I wonder if something like this is embraced or hated by their older fans?
Not for me, but sure keep it on a list like this.
This is one of those albums my dad owned, but he only ever played "Suzanne". Which was a fine song, but it never struck me enough to want to play the rest of the album myself. But I finally did, about 30 years later. My favorites are the darker and the kind of cryptic songs like "Master Song" and "The Stranger Song", but really, I enjoy the album as a whole. This is the kind of folk I can get behind.
I used to just stare at this album cover as a kid. It was just so mystifying to try and understand all of the people and artifacts that adorn it. It’s a perfect representation of what’s to come. The mop-tops are no more. Instead, we see four Edwardian and psychedelic men that are boys no more. The music, tbe songwriting, and the mindsets have matured. Rubber Soul was a big step from Help!, Revolver from that, and Sgt Pepper and even grander and more outward one. It feels more sophisticated and outlandish. At the time, this was simply unsurpassed. As a concept album, I find it to being extremely convincing. The Beatles take on a completely different persona through this musical acts. It just doesn’t sound like them anymore. It’s heavier rock, chamber pop, Indian sequences, psychedelic trips, unhinged cereal commercials, and an avant-garde masterpiece to end it all. Front to back, it’s beautiful all the way through, but outside of just how it sounds, it’s historical accomplishment and quite possibly the most important and influential piece of musical work of all time.
Very surprising album. Several of the songs on the first half of the album reminded me of the best Black Keys songs. The back half of the album slowed down, and was a little less interesting. Overall, I really dug this one.
More of this on the list!
4/10 = conflicted between hating or kind of liking ish, whenever the singing slows down and the genre almost shifts i really like it especially when the progression goes down butttt the constant screech just isnt for my ears yet, sweet child of mine lowkey guilty pleasure flames
This is my 188th album in this journey and I thought instead of just rating them outright, I'd add some notes like I'm describing it to someone who has never heard it before. I've only done notes on a few other albums.
I own this one on vinyl and I like to listen to my daily album on vinyl if I own it, just seems right.
Anyway, you don't know the B-52's debut? It's a LOT. What it is most is campy fun. It's got wacky nonsensical lyrics, cosmic music that fucking grooves! Fred, the lead singer kind of has a whiny, bitchy voice, in the best way. The lady singers wail! Kate has a soaring, smooth voice, while Cindy, who looks exactly like my middle school English teacher (don't know who is cooler) has more of a spunky vibe.
The stand outs are Rock Lobster and Planet Clare.
It's hard to describe this band's sound honestly.. cosmic, kitchy, funky. I don't know, but you WILL tap your toes.
The unsung hero are the bass lines. They are so groovy. I'm tired now. Nighty night.
5/5
The cover art is a disconnect with the music, I never would have put the two together. This isn't something I'd probably seek out again but it was an interesting listen. 3.25/5
One of the things I'm glad this list is finally getting me to listen to is all the cool women in rock music that I've been sleeping on. Some nice alt. rock on this specific record, and I really love "A Place Called Home" in particular.
8/10.
2/10 = liked the synthy 80s instrumentals but the vocals were a bit too a lot warbly and not very memorable for the time, sort of parodied itself and im surprised it made it on here tbh
Oh fuck yeah. Goosebumpy!
I need to hear more of them. Immediately.
You know when you've heard the name but never bothered to listen to them, then realise you're a fucking idiot?
That.
it's good. didn't take listening notes. some serious songs, some sillier songs. weird choice following coat of many colors with traveling man.
i would put this more in 'collection of songs as album' category than in 'total unit as album' category. which, the songs were good so really i'm just splitting hairs.
EDIT I listened to this on Aug 24, 2026, and Dolly Parton died Aug 25, 2026. To pay my respects, I am changing my rating from a 4/5 to a 5/5. - 8/25/26
Hot take I guess, but pop is way overrated, unless it's truly phenomenal in composition and execution. Forgot this the moment I listened to it, and before that it was mildly annoying. Really, just, like... Whatever. Give me dadrock or buttrock any day over this.
I think it‘s not up to debate that Dolly is one of the best people to ever be alive. AND she‘s a great musician!
This album is just lovely. She is really good at story telling in song. Songs like the title-track, Traveling Man or She Never Met A Man are such great character pieces that paint detailed pictures of their subjects. All that performed by a sweet and string voice that‘s full of emotion.
Musically, it‘s a bit monotonous for me but i guess that‘s also a question of genre preference. All in all, how can you not love Dolly?
The soundtrack that is playing in the robot factory whilst robots are making new robots (whilst humans starve and burn in wildfires outside the factory).
After their week-long shift (without breaks), the robots take their Royksopp CDs home and place them carefully upon their coffee tables next to Moby and the Buena Vista Social Club, dusting and polishing the plastic cases so that when their robot friends come for dinner, they can admire their impeccable taste in music.
A heartwarming view of the future - and possibly the only realistic scenario in which the world hasn't actually been destroyed by rogue AI by 2030.
(4/5) I've always had mixed feelings about 'glam'/'hair metal'. I was a child when it was at its peak and was a teenager in the 90s, so its inglorious exit was fine by me. If a guitar didn't have a distortion effect on it I wouldn't give it the time of day. My flannels all had holes in them. That's how '90s' I was.
Time has passed however and so much of that which I dismissed out of hand, like Bon Jovi, has all come back to haunt me. I got really, really tired (with a few exceptions) of pretentious, self-serious music. Some bands stuck with me but a lot was sloughed off like a skin rash. On the other side of that I re-discovered that this big, dumb music from the 80s was really.. *FUN*. I slowly realized not all of my music needed to be some deep, introspection into the mysteries of the human psyche and nature. I wasn't sad all the time, so why did my music have to be? It was OK to chant along with a power chord chorus. I am allowed to smile at a song and bang my head to a catchy tune. This album is a good encapsulation of some of those feelings. Teenage me would be really disappointed in middle-aged me, but I don't give a shit. I want to have fun now and I could do worse than put on this album.
Getting a Dolly Parton album on the day of her passing is crazy. I honestly really enjoyed it and her voice is so soothing. I think this album is def at least 4 stars but personally I just don’t see myself playing it that much. Despite that I think the vocals and instrumentation speaks for itself.
Fav Song: Rosewood Casket
In the early 90s I was in a short-lived band called 'Stuttgart Factory'. We had intended to play in the Sydney Uni band competition but never made it out of the rehearsal room. We had some old keyboards and a crappy drum machine and produced a few songs somewhere between homage and parody of The Man Machine-era Kraftwerk. The only songs I remember were 'Gimme Gimme Valium' and 'Deutsche Auto'. The lyrics were something like:
"Ist das ein Deutsche Auto?
Nein, das ist ein Amerikanishe Auto.
Ist _das_ ein Deutsche Auto?
Nein, das ist ein Japanische Auto.
Deutsche Auto
(breathy whisper voice) Deutsch-aaahh."
Heady stuff. I wish I still had a tape somewhere...
All synthpop is, in some way, a response to Kraftwerk; either embracing the cold "we are all robots" vibe (Gary Numan, for example) or reacting against with hyper-emotionalism (eg. Soft Cell or Depeche Mode). Kratfwerk's move from the ambient, musique concrete approach typical of synth bands of the 70s (Tangerine Dream, et al.) towards an embrace of pop forms was unexpected but genius. There are catchy tunes and jaunty beats and plenty of hooks here. You certainly couldn't accuse Tangerine Dream of those features.
The influence was surprisingly widespread and deep. I mean, who would have predicted Kraftwerk would be so central to early 80s hip hop? You can find elements of Kraftwerk in almost all popular music these days.
The Man Machine and Computer World are Kraftwerk at the height of their pop powers. Electric Cafe (an album I secretly quite like) "flopped", and they have basically rested on their well-deserved laurels ever since. But this is absolutely seminal, and a great listen.
First thing I thought was, jee what a coincidence that this album was picked for me the day after she died. But it turned out that the randomizer was a bit less random today and every active user got this or another Dolly today.
And I really like this gesture. I never listened to her really but are aware of the big hits like Jolene etc. Also I am not a huge fan of traditional country music, but I like a lot country influenced music like what we label these days as Americana, roots or alt.country. But this album is really pretty. She is a great storyteller, if I am correct this is her first album full with her own compositions. I listened to it a few times and especially liked the title song, Travelin Man and Early morning breeze . 4/5
I am only a few weeks from finishing this project. The end is in sight, and it can't come fast enough. I found this album absolutely exhausting. It's like a cross between Daft Punk and the Chemical Brothers (both of whom I really dig), so I can't explain why I find this so wearying. It's shiny and loud and funky and a bit noisy and energetic, but I just want to put my fingers in my ears and gently beat my forehead against the tabletop. Please make it stop.
Now THIS is how your rebound from a bad record! Bringing the funk, the soul, and a marvelously extended version of Papa Was A Rolling Stone (over a third of its overall run time), this one was a breathe of fresh air that didn't overstay its welcome and left plenty of time for a repeat performance. I'm going out on a strong limb saying that the mentioned track alone earns this one three stars, but the remainder (while groovy and eminently listenable) doesn't quite garner it two more. Still manages a very respectable 4.5/5 that I'm hesitant to round up without a good deal of revisiting and an improved estimation of its other tracks.
I am a record fiend from way back and I spend a lot of time trawling for bargains in dusty record stores. I have a special place in my heart for classic records that you commonly see for $1. Willie Nelson's Stardust is one of those records. It sold a bazillion copies back in the day but has fallen a bit out of favour, so it is common to find vinyl copies languishing in the bargain bins. It is an under-appreciated gem.
Willie Nelson might dress like a country outlaw, but secretly he is a jazzbo -- he always liked a clever chord, a surprisingly complex solo, and 'jazz' cigarettes. Especially the 'jazz' cigarettes. Willie obviously loves American popular song, and so do I. These are some of the greatest songs of all time. Willie knows and loves these songs and he deeply understands them. I love the modest and tasteful arrangements from Booker T. Jones, thankfully avoiding over-egging the pudding with strings or backing choirs. Willie's regular band plays with sympathetic and understated restraint. I like the road-weariness in Willie's voice -- it makes everything seem heartful and honest. It is a welcome opportunity to hear these classic songs with fresh ears.
Many artists have copied this concept with a late-career tribute to the American songbook, but few attempts approach the sincere beauty and warmth of this album.
This is an evergreen album I can happily listen to any day.
Great rock music (and I am taking a broad definition of ’rock’ here) is a balance between smart and dumb. And The Prodigy really understand how that works. Liam Howlett told SPIN that “I have a philosophy that our music works on a really dumb level, which is the level that most people understand.” Well, mission accomplished; he took the most exciting aspects of techno and rave, mashed it with rock guitars, hip hop beats, volume and distortion, and a brace of charismatic front men to create an exciting and powerful hybrid that really gets the blood pumping. It’s aggressive, sure, but this record sounds bucking great and really gets me hyped up! It’s got a great beat, and I can bug out to it! Banging tunes! Five stars! Let’s get munted and dance!
But I think Mr Howlett is being disingenuous when he claims his music operates purely on the ‘dumb’ level. He is a smart and sophisticated musician, and this album didn’t come together by accident. There are deliberate ambition and craft here. And this is where is becomes necessary to discuss That Song. I don’t even want to type the name out in full because it contains a misogynistic slur that I won’t use, in a violent context that is just inexcusable. The band’s claims that “oh yeah, it doesn’t mean that, it just means we’re really hyped up!” is absolute bullshit, and a prime example of Schrodinger’s Asshole (a person who says racist, sexist or out of pocket shit and acts like it’s a joke or not based off the people’s reaction).
I am not sure I would go as far as Jesse Dorris’ retrospective review in Pitchfork that describes the whole album as the national anthem of the toxic masculinity backlash, but I am certainly giving her arguments a lot of serious consideration. (Let’s not forget that this came out on Madonna’s Maverick label, yet more evidence that Madonna may be an icon of female agency, but not necessarily a feminist role model). Personally, I find most of their aggression cartoonish and relatively harmless – but I can certainly understand being upset and freaked out by That Song. To paraphrase Jessica Hopper in her massively insightful book 'The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic'; how are we supposed to feel about the loooooong history of popular music that we think is awesome, but _hates_ women at the same time? That Song is another vivid but sadly commonplace example of a catchy song that misogynistically threatens and condones violence against women. What is that like for female music fans to live through? This makes me – a straight, white, male rock fan – pretty uncomfortable, so I can imagine it would be very unsettling for many women.
So, five stars for the banging tunes, 1 star for obnoxious misogyny that leaves a terrible taste in my mouth, averaging out at an uncomfortable 3 stars, subject to further review.
Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors has such a warm, nostalgic feeling that it feels less like simply listening to an album and more like stepping into a collection of memories. I really loved how heartfelt and comforting the songs felt, with stories about family, childhood, love, hardship, and finding beauty in simple things.
This was actually my first time listening to a full Dolly Parton album, and I honestly regret discovering her music so late. There’s something incredibly genuine about her voice and storytelling that makes even the simplest songs feel deeply personal. The album has a wonderful balance of tenderness, humor, sadness, and hope, and you can really feel the importance of her Appalachian roots and upbringing throughout it.
The title track, “Coat of Many Colors,” especially stood out to me. Its story is simple but incredibly moving, turning something born out of poverty into a symbol of love, pride, and family. That ability to find warmth and meaning in ordinary experiences is probably what I appreciated most about the album.
I’m really glad I finally gave Dolly Parton a chance. Coat of Many Colors feels timeless, sincere, and deeply human—and now I’m definitely curious to explore more of her music.
I am going to take a minute to talk about Dolly Parton. I am assuming I got this album today due to the news that shocked the world yesterday, that Dolly Parton passed away at 80. There are so many things about Dolly that make her a legend and icon, a warrior and champion of charity. She tried her darndest to do good in the world, and it showed. This album was pretty good. Easy listening, nice harmonies between the three icons. Nice to get a county album instead of the usual british punk album.
Oh, 1001 Albums Generator Dot Com. While the passing of a legend is certainly a good time to listen to their music, it is perhaps the worst time to actually review it. How can you expect me to dry my eyes, put on my scholarly glasses, and look at this through a critical lens? Does anyone dare have a stony enough heart to rate this four stars or less?
Lucky for me, then, that it's undeniably great. Material that could have been saccharine or morose in someone else's hands is given a heartfelt, joyous presentation. Dolly sings everything earnestly and with her whole (renowned) chest.
I'm not one for lyrics 99% of the time, but Dolly's here are beautiful and uncomplicated, not needing a Genius translation. "Coat of Many Colors" and "A Better Place to Live" are the world in the exemplary way that Dolly saw it. "Early Morning Breeze" is the joy of being alive (and accompanied by a very slinky bassline). "Traveling Man" is a cautionary tale with a hilarious twist ending. "My Blue Tears" is a lovely bit of poetry. "The Mystery of the Mystery" is about Dolly's faith and her willingness to accept that which she can't understand. "Here I Am" is my favorite song on here, an ode to self-fulfillment sung with fervor of a gospel preacher. If the rest of album has more well-worn material of the cheating heart variety, the delivery is still as good as it gets and the accompanying music and production serve their roles nicely.
Whether you're listening with a critical ear or not, it's a great album from a great lady. So long, Dolly. See you on the other side.
Surprised to see this on here. I say this as someone who bought this as soon as it came out and probably listened to it 1500 times. But Nonsuch is the late period XTC album that should be on this list. Go listen to that. A lot. That record deserves A LOT more attention. The world would be a better place if everyone spent more time with it. Go. Now!
The musical craftsmanship here is stunning. Truly. Rewards a close listen. Listening to it again today on headphones, my mouth is agape. And Colin Moulding's musicianship particularly should be claimed by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site.
But the content here was not worth breaking up the band to bring it to life, as was the case here, with much budget induced stress. Fuck capitalism and the horrible forces of reality! But real they are, and if your art requires a big budget, you are making a choice to prioritize that and I'm not sure I agree with the decision here. This gets four stars from me because it is in the top 40% of albums, but it isn't in the top 60% of XTC.
My friends and I used to jokingly, and lovingly, spread a rumor that Dave Gregory is living above a laundromat in our hometown. I will still get the occasional text. "I think I just saw Dave G at the Big Y deli counter." I pray those messages outlive me, and I pray XTC's music outlives its makers.
(sigh) This album confirms to me that Dimery knows NOTHING about non-Western music. Yeah, it's a got a sitar in it, but this isn't a meaningful fusion of Indian and Western music; it's a fucking joke. It cheapens and demeans traditional Indian music. It's a novelty record, akin to Moog Plays Bacharach or the Beatle Barkers.
And it wasn't even the first to try this concept; Harihar Rao's Raga Rock (an equally terrible record) predates this by 4 years.
I wonder about Dimery's 'world music' inclusions on this list. They often seem to be the examples most geared towards Western audiences, often to the point of pandering. The most extreme examples are a world music mélange, whipping a random combination of disparate influences together over some canned beats into an indistinctly tasteful 'international blend' suitable for a dinner party or an afternoon set at a Womad festival.
I can only see this record on this list as an example of an 'exotic' novelty album, a genre commonly found in bargain bins, charity stores, and your grandparents' record collections. As an example of shit novelty records that you will commonly see in your travels as a vinyl collector, this rates two stars for being vaguely listenable (the covers, at least, which are kind of funny).
But as serious music? Get real, what would be next? James Last? Klaus Wunderlich? Hammond A Go Go? The Baja Marimba Band? Fuck off! 1.5 stars, rounding down.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo had 25 years performing and more than a dozen albums under their belt by the time they cameoed on the Graceland album. I have strong feelings about Paul Simon's relationship with collaborators (*cough cough * serial plagiarist and musical colonialist *cough cough*) but will concede that he did strong-arm Warners into giving wide release to a full album that he produced. Simon had the good sense to keep himself relatively out of the spotlight -- no cameos, don't muck around with the formula -- although the liberal application of reverb and delay in the mix have dated the production a bit. And Ladysmith won Grammys, sold a bunch of records and have built a career touring the world ever since, even if Warners couldn't be bothered sustaining their interest for more than a couple of records.
There are some concessions to Western audiences here - four songs in English, a translated lyrics sheet, the aforementioned mix -- but Joseph Shabalala and his well-honed choir did what they had always done. You could potentially accuse them of being a one-trick pony, but it is a really good trick. Frankly, you could happily swap this out for almost any one of their many albums and get a great representation of what is wonderful about the group.
I can’t believe the top review for this record (as of Dec 2023) is from someone trying to use their PhD in Mathematics as justification for not liking hip-hop.
Weak.
Oh fuck yeah, now we're talking. Wait no, I swear I'm not being pretentious.
This is the lowest rated album on this site because I guess mostly people aren't very fond of German people smashing metal plates together - who would have guessed.
But halle-fucking-lujah, this is something this list needs more of. Albums that make you go "well, that was an experience and now I'm a changed man". Nobody is lying on their deathbed wishing they heard more crappy 80s post-punk or late 60s psychedelic rock. THIS is what we all deserve to be listening to as we embrace eternal oblivion.
I'm giving this a high rating not only because I genuinely really love it, but also to help Kid Rock move to his rightful place as the actual worst album on this list.
Together we can make a difference. Save the turtles.
Brings back vivid memories of when me and my mate Ray went on a trip to Dresden. We met this rotund goth in a bar, head to toe with tattoos and piercings, real filth and after a while took her into the disabled bogs for a spit roast. We were both pumping away in her with Napalm Death on in the background and her wailing "MEIN GOTT" at the top of her lungs. I remember spaffing all over her back just as Siege of Power kicked in. As i shoot over her, she takes Ray's cock out of her gob and says "do you want fries with that?" in a faux American accent. Anyway, we go outside and there's this gammy little geezer in a wheelchair sitting there furious, giving me daggers, because he's had to wait so long, so I lean into him and I go "I hope you have as much fun in there as we just did you little cunt".
I really don't get rap, and I am completely aware of why. I'm a STEM guy, specifically a Ph.D. student in mathematics. Although my verbal intelligence is quite high, it's still about a standard deviation below my quantitative intelligence. Therefore, it should not be too surprising that I prefer melodies to lyricism, and that a genre based on the latter doesn't wow me. I know I'm pretty far out of step with public opinion on this one, but that can easily be attributed to the fact that hipsters with humanities degrees (i.e. extremely verbal-dominant people) are considered the ultimate arbiters of taste for some reason. (Side note: this also explains why prog rock is seen as being for losers.) Best song: Be (Intro), which had a decent instrumental part at the beginning. Everything else just sort of ran together.
Back when I was in college I used to go to a bar and listen to Neil tunes and do magic tricks for women. There was a bartender there, he was the best. I loved that guy. Some of the best years of my life.
Back when I was in college, there was this dude who would come into the bar I worked at on a Friday night and play fucking 10 Neil Young songs in a row. He would also hit on girls by doing magic tricks. I remember how angry I got every time he made me listen to an hour of Neil Young because I was just trying to have a good time, and he fucking made me listen to this sad, soppy fuck who writes nothing but songs that sound indistinguishable from each other and never seemed to enjoy a happy moment in his entire like. Fuck that guy, and fuck Neil Young.
2/5
Shit like this on the list is both refreshing and infuriating.
Refreshing because it is good, fun, interesting, and also not something I would regularly be exposed to! It's why I started this project and keeps me coming back.
It's infuriating because the fact that it is included here means that Robert Dimery, the original author of the 1001 albums list is aware that music like this exists. He's clearly aware that there is an entire world of music out there. SO WHY HAVE I LISTENED TO 200 80s BRITISH NEW WAVE ALBUMS AND 200 SCOTTISH ROCK ALBUMS FROM THE 90S??!!?
The beauty of music is that it is subjective. It’s typically great for a certain group of people, though it’s never right for everyone. Some for the masses, some more niche, but it all has its place.
Meanwhile, with lists like this, there’s always artists or records that anyone would have put on in place of what actually made it. Personally, I would have included Queensryche’s Operation Mindcrime, Live’s Throwing Copper, Joe Satriani’s The Extremist, Sara Bareilles’ Little Voice, or John Mellencamp’s Scarecrow album on a list of must hear records. Others would put totally different albums on and that's awesome. What someone likes vs. dislikes is truly subjective. Again, that's the beauty.
With that said, this album objectively sucks.
I mean truly horrible. Something had to be the lowest rated album on the list, and this was a place well earned. There is nothing redeemable about this record.
To quote my wife, “they should have stopped at 1,000.”
I am definitely not the target demographic for this album, but I still thought it was very good. There's a lot of skill and artistry put into these tracks, so much so that it is almost invisible. 4 stars for me, plus an extra star just to spite the mathematics PHD guy.