1001 Albums Summary

Easily my favorite Beastie Boys album. A little bit of novelty, seriousness, and avant-guard experimentation that keeps things interesting. This was at the height of their powers in terms of sampling and playing their own instruments. It's tight and sonically intense. How many kinds of albums are there that have songs that feel as goofy and as threatening as some of these? It also showcases their hardcore punk roots. This is an essential listening, huge in every way, and these guys have shown and been given massive respect in the hip-hop and punk scene where everything started for the new wave of US music in the 80s and 90s. People writing on here need to get off their high horse about their inclusion on the list. These guys probably gave more props and credit to black hip hop artists than any white hip hop artist from the same time period (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). Watch their speech at the 1999 VMAs for their win on "Intergalactic" as proof. Pioneers and gentlemen all the way.

I love albums that immediately get a 5 star within the first few minutes. Willie is an original. A chief storyteller that evokes the place and time he sings about. As a concept album it kind of fails, but as a whole it really evokes the Wild West he sings about. What a legend. Give this man all the love he deserves. Like Bruce and Cash, he's one of the American greats.

Sad that this is the only Coltrane album on the list. So many amazing albums from him missing that allowed jazz to cross over to the mainstream yet also albums that challenged the very notions of jazz at the time (see: Ascention). As a longtime musician, I owe a lot to Coltrane - he was probably the first jazz frontman that I studied about. This is a wonderful album, a gateway album for many into better jazz music, but woefully overplayed. Psalm is probably my favorite standout track, displaying his entry into more spiritual, esoteric ideas that would most leave their mark on me, musically speaking. For me, this is more of a 4.5 - beautiful and mythical, but just getting started. Hopefully many of you on the website have continued to listen more if this was a first time album.

I love Hendrix but I've never really liked this album. Messy and feels half-finished at times. Must have been GREAT drugs but too many tracks that are corny or a bit amateurish at times. The hits are of course great - and the Voodoo Chile Suite is an extremely underrated blues jam from his band. It was clear that he was moving on from simply being a rock front man here. Such a tragedy that his life was cut so short - apparently there might had been a Miles Davis collaboration if he lived on. Could you imagine??

Hasn't aged well, unfortunately. Must have been really cool when it came out, but we don't really need to listen to zoned out jams with long, noodly guitar solos from guys that aren't the Grateful Dead. And I'm not even a deadhead.

Let me preface by saying that I adore Patti Smith as an artist and a person. Seen her live (amazing), have read a lot about her, and have read her books/poetry, and recognize that she's important in the making of DIY music and punk rock. I have tried but NEVER got into this album since I was 15. I give up. Not sure why it continues to be on lists like this other than the fact that it was racy and bold for its time (especially when it comes to production and its budget). It feels overblown at all the wrong moments and pretentious overall. Everything feels sloppy and half-assed and the poetry is not among her finest. So, what's the story here? Is it like how people drool over "blank canvas" from famous artists and talk about how much of a statement it makes? Maybe the fact that it gets a rise out of me still means that it works. But I'd like to never, ever, listen to it again. 20 something years of trying is enough. Going back to my X-Ray Spex recordings for the time being!

Souvlaki, by Slowdive, was truly a triumph in what made rock music exciting in the early 1990s. Swirling guitars, psychedelic song structures, adding on to the traditions of Great English rock with an entirely new twist. Truly a timeless classic. Oh? Or, just add a generic sounding bar rock album from an English rock star of yesteryear to the list. Um, where's my paycheck??

The fact that no disco music from the Bee Gees is included in this book, and yet, this is, says a lot about what the book wishes to celebrate. I've heard lots of concept albums in my life. A few sincere and emotional moments aside, it's perhaps one of the most painful, pointless, schmalzy things I've ever heard. Not sure what I SUPPOSED to like about it! What did the band want to achieve? Otherwise literally led to the band's breakup! Ego stroking at a max. Prime example of style over substance. Like the Gilded Age in music form. Like a 2000 dollar caviar and gold leaf covered burger TikTok trend. Thank God for punk rock.

I get that Adamson did this to get some work with movie soundtracks (it worked, a bit) but maybe he should have just sent it directly to studios instead of imposing it on the greater public. No personality and as banal as it gets.

How to listen to this album: 1) Listen and laugh. 2) Turn off album. 3) Put on Mazzy Star's 2nd album. 4) Realize that the 90s was full of amazing music not included in book. 5) Write Robert Dimery. 6) ??? 7) Profit!

The reviews on this album say more about the average user on the site's database rather than the album itself. I wasn't prepared to enjoy this. I don't really listen to German cabaret music, nor do I enjoy showtunes or (overly) pretentious experimental music. I already was a fan of Krause's work with Slapp Happy and Henry Cow. The fact that no album from either band is on here is pretty criminal (and I don't often listen to either band anyways). As with any "difficult" work, it's important to perhaps read and engage a bit more with it to understand why it's here. In a list that's full of albums only because they were commercially successful or popular for their time, this album pretty much breaks the flow in every way possible. Or does it? Hanns Eisler is a composer that perhaps needs revisiting in the times we live in today. Woes regarding war, propaganda, and social issues in constant fight for recognition were themes that he wrote about, and paid the price for (escaping Germany during the rise of the Nazis). He wrote revolutionary songs (and even composed the national anthem for East Germany upon return), songs of the struggle of the common people, and even a song that advocated for the legalization of abortion and autonomy and protection for women (in the 1930s, no less). The music is, of course, not easy listening. But, the lyrics and music is played by Krause exactly as Eisler intended. She really understands his music. Seething, menacing, often threatening but filled with empathy and lamentation. The music is simply stunning that it was written in post-war Berlin before Hitler's rise. How much creative work was lost from that time period? What can we learn from the themes of the piece today, in the permacrisis that we currently live in? The fact that this is in a book on generally popular music and has been kept in since, with female pop artists such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera being cut out of new editions, speaks volumes about what this album can bring to the table of what we deem as "timeless" female artists. No pressings made in the USA whatsoever, no commercial interest, and still wildly ahead of its time given the negative reactions on the website and on YouTube despite being music written nearly over 100 years ago - and on top of that, appealing to myself who's not a fan of this type of music to begin with. This is protest music from another time, yet still representing the fight of our time. More showtune music should be this dark and idiosyncratic. As such, in the spirit of protest, it gets a 5. Post-script: also, not sure how "not being on Spotify" translates as to being album of "no merit whatsoever". Spotify should not be the only way that you have access to albums as a music fan, nor is it a measurement of quality in an album. For those who wrote this, please go to your local record store or library from time to time, or purchase music directly from labels or artists' webpages. You'll be amazed at the great stuff that isn't available on streaming services, waiting to be discovered.

I remember getting in a fight with my ex back in college over this album. She said it was total shit, and I kept defending it as genius. It's in fact, both. But both of us I think missed the point entirely. The Pixies are what they are, an eclectic, bizarre, ironic except non-ironic band with dozens and dozens of influences. There's no way everything will work, and some styles will please you more over others featured in the album, but it's still a wild ride to this day. I love how we never know where the screaming/singing will change and what tempos/chords will intentionally get screwed up. It's masterful because it was entirely controlled in the studio, albeit to the band's eventual demise (this is where they started hating working with each other). You'd have to be a control freak to make this kind of music sound so tight and cohesive. It's no longer my favorite Pixies album (kind of iffy at certain points), but it was a game changer for me as I started to get into more alternative music. 4.5 stars.

When I was 12, living in Rio, Clint Eastwood played everywhere. Still on the anime high, I loved the music video and watched it religiously. I'm embarrassed to admit that I never heard the album in full until this day. It's a wonderful, quirky little thing. So much talent went into this, as well as a lot of ideas sourced from so many things Albern was certainly exposed to, all used to their advantage. Never will I simply refer to Gorillaz as a simple novelty act. It's a very sophisticated multimedia act from one of the most unlikely rock frontmen from the 90s. Seems to get better with age. So glad I finally listened to the whole thing. Post-script: Really too bad that this was removed, and no new Gorillaz albums have been added since. I guess the print isn't large enough with all of those Costello albums already taking up space.

Such a classic. This album changed my life when I listened to it in high school for the first time, just coming off of hardcore punk. What I love about the ratings is that it creates a perfect stabilized pyramid, meaning that this is as divisive as ever. This recording destroys me to this day. Between Lombardo's booming drums, Araya's menacing vocals, and the evil-sounding, wicked guitar playing of King and Hanneman (still can't my guitar to sound as gross to this day) to themes of horror and carnage in human history, it's simply an incredible effort for its time. Scared? Good. Remember that the content is tongue-in-cheek, though the music is not. I really wish I had seen Slayer live - but, Rubin's production makes it feel like they're playing in my living room, destroying everything in sight. So much fun, and so crazy. I still love this album and the reactions it still gives.

As a longtime fan of Marty Robbins, I was shocked that I never given Jones a listen. Truly depressing music at it's finest from one of the most beaten down guys in country. I thought that Haggard's life was tough, but nothing at this level of alcoholism and depression. These songs sound cheery and nice, but the content is as dark as it gets. Country is about hurting. Must have made grown men cry at the time. Just like the blues, it's the American equivalent of fado and raga. Very bold of them to include this. Wish there were more.

No clue why this album is on the list when plenty of other UK and US-worthy hard rock albums were snubbed. Their previous album, Love, would have been at least a decent addition to the Gothic rock sub-genre on the list. Not amazing, but filled with British enough charm and nicely put side by side with bands like the Cure. This is as if they watched This Is Spinal Tap and decided to emulate the band, not realizing that it was a joke. Rubin's production, while solid as usual, sucks out all of the reverb (like what he did with Slayer) and WORSENS the band sound, making them as memorable as every cock-rock band you've ever heard. It makes them seem less threatening, precisely the effect that made Slayer more so. That cover of Born to Be Wild is one of the worst I've ever heard, too. Nothing but clichés and throwaway riffs here. Must be trolling from the part of music critics that added this, as many albums on the list appear to be. Just awful. See: Jet's second album 20 something years later for lessons not learned.

Everything has been written to death about this. It's a perfect pop album, perhaps as important and timeless as anything the great classical composers of history have written before. People focus, ironically (or coincidentally) on the "rumors" surrounding the band members rather than the music first. No, they were not all having sex with each other, but rather having huge problems regarding heartbreak with each other, dealing with divorce, separation, and entering new relationships. Yes, there was cocaine and alcohol and hedonism but not really out of joy, but trying to dull the pain, perhaps clinging to the nostalgia of the 60s counterculture and bohemian times, slipping away in the narrators' minds. This album beautifully celebrates everything that is cruel and beautiful about being human and connecting to one another, and time that slips away where we simply lose connections to wear and tear and time itself. The content is often dismal, they weren't necessarily very likeable people, yet their approach was to celebrate life through music and to keep on going to make one of the most sincere albums we've ever heard. That 5 and the fact that it's the top rated album on this site is not a coincidence.I don't even like Fleetwood Mac all that much and this is one my favorite albums ever. This is something that brings even the bitterest extreme music listener to tears. Shimmering guitars, heavy bass and drums, dense and compact production, happy sounding songs that are depressing and sad sounding songs that are uplifting. This tugs the heartstrings and toys with emotions all the way through. And those melodies are just perfect - every song is a hit. I think this may the only album where I've heard every song on commercial radio. They made something greater than themselves, and all we have is to thank them for it year after year. 50 years on and nary a grey hair in sight (musically speaking). Plus, it gave us the most sold album (ever?) with lavatory handles used as balls on the front cover. So there's that, too.

I love Elvis but couldn't they just have added one or two comps of his (with RCA and Sun) and just be done with this? Yes, maybe it was a success commercially and culturally speaking for the album format, as it sold a lot after Elvis returned from his forced military service abroad. But, it wouldn't be the best introduction to Elvis at all! It shows he was already great at this point, but why are comps not allowed on this list? Do they not count as albums or something? Some of the best releases ever are comps!!

This album is the reason that this project is so interesting yet important to take your time with. I had never heard of Kiwanuka, and the first listen I found it to be decent at best (everything sounded pretty similar) - but, I've already listened to this album 3 times since and it's grown on me each time, going up from a 4 and now finally to a 5. This is an extremely SMART artist, pulling from so many influences both old and new, and connecting the songs together in a way that they create a uniform album, with fascinating chord changes, cryptic lyrics, and lots and lots of textures that remind me far more of what D'Angelo did rather than Bowie, one of his biggest influences. Such cool stuff - really uplifting and, like a good page turner, keeps you coming back again and again, trying to understand what exactly the central plot means by connecting all of the ideas together. So, what does this album mean? Not sure, but it really touches on all of the beauty and uncertainties of being human. Fantastic stuff.

Really a 4.5 if you ask me. I had never given Sade a chance growing up. As a fan of more extreme music, I too was part of the peanut gallery in labeling this as adult alternative muzak. What a load of garbage. This is a beautiful, fantastic, sensual album, that actually touches on social issues in addition to the romantic, slow-moving hits. This simmers all the way through, tight as a well oiled machine. As a musician, I'm impressed with the band's ability to show so much restraint and release with the jazz and pre-trip-hop song structures. The sax solos are a bit of their time, but precisely, the 80s was one of the best times for music anyways, and I'm such a sucker for cheese as long as the music is tough enough. Sade is a strong and focused singer, not at all flat. Like a Billie Holliday 2.0, at times. As my former jazz instructor, Andrew Speight, once told our large class (with people chatting and making noise upon arriving during the first track he would play), "If you shut up and listen, you might learn something." So glad that I held my breath and gave you a listen after all these years, Sade. Can't wait to listen to the rest.

Great addition to the list! Funky, wild, and cool - some filler, but exactly the kind of stuff I wanted to discover. It's a shame that it's the only album from India on the list. So much amazing stull has come out of that continent. Someone should write a book on 1001 Indian albums to listen to before you die (and it will certainly be as controversial as the current book).

As a lifelong Cooke fan, can't believe I had never heard this one before! Raw power to the max, performing in the best possible place and audience, at the peak of his powers. This is what I dreamed of Cooke sounding like on his regular recordings and more. The Man and His Music is a true classic comp to have in every collection, but this is where you crank things up. His party songs sound like revolutionary anthems here. It's the only Sam Cooke album on the list, so it gets an automatic 5 anyways.

It's nice to see an album on the list that I grew up listening to, during its peak moment. I listened to a lot of Animal Collective in college in San Francisco. I was just getting into more alternative music from simply classic rock and punk rock, and starting to enjoy other genres of music, particularly experimental and "anti-rock" groups. SF was perfect for this around 2009, just before the techie explosion. Lots of small venues, house concerts, warehouse spaces, micro labels and record stores, and lots and lots of music swapping. Animal Collective was really popular in the scene and was historically a pretty wild band up to MPP: lots of sound manipulation, heavily reverbed and screaming vocals, lots of odd chord changes and tunings, and also fans of underground bands such as the Residents and Sun City Girls. This album really surprised people because it signaled a different direction for the band to make more poppy, amplified, arena friendly music. They were hinting towards it for a bit but I think at the time it was a wonderful transition. Alas, I feel that it's a wonderful effort if albeit atypical to what they're known for. See: Strawberry Jam and Feels. A lot of the melodies are bright and sunny but lost often times in the reverb and overdubbed vocal harmonies that make it more of a mood board for summertime imagery instead of a consistent selection of memorable hooks. Maybe the hype was a bit too much at the time. With that said, Panda Bear's songs are as delightful as always (following his high from the incredible Person Pitch album) and evoke some very happy, optimistic nostalgia during that time of being young and living through a moment of a lot of creativity and hope. He's the only member of AC whose music I still listen to often - experimental pop masterpieces all the way through. I find the Brian Wilson/Beach Boys comparisons to be lazy. But, in the same level as Pet Sounds or Smile, this is an album that's pretty idiosyncratic - you'd never mistake them for another band. It just doesn't thrill me as it used to. More of a 3.5. Still worth listening to, and glad it's on the list. Hope it made some new AC fans in the process!

This album (as well as the Royal Albert Hall live album) have been my gospel since college. I have never taken psychoactive substances, nor do I need to in order to appreciate this album. Jason Pierce is one of the great UK songwriters of the 80s and 90s. Heavily inspired by multiple influences, his experiences with drugs and anxiety really allow him to go the extra mile when it comes to making complex, rich soundscapes. Everything is here: psychedelic rock, punk, gospel, R&B, jazz, noise, ambiant, etc. - the way he composes is the way that I hear the world. Moments of silence with moments of loudness. This can be challenging but overall rewarding music. It may come off as pretentious and bombastic at times, but the grandeur only elevates the message further. Pierce is, however, a very sentimental person with songs about heartbreak and loneliness. I really feel that everything he added was with sincerity and to push the boundaries of what he was trying to do. This is an album not to be taken lightly, as it makes you feel insignificant facing it head-on. The fact that they could also pull off this sound live makes them second to none. Give it all your attention and face the beauty and chaos of the abyss.

The more time passes, the more that it becomes clear that this is a masterpiece on so many levels. There's so many highlights here, hopping from style to style and setting trends along the way. It was clear to André 3000 that they wanted to be more than just a hip-hop duo. I saw Big Boi recently and while it was great, it's clear that they couldn't keep working together vis-à-vis his traditional hip hop approach VS André 3000's need to continue experimenting. But, while it was good, they truly captured lightning in a bottle here. B.O.B is basically the reason that this album is such a killer. It basically predicted not only the future of pop music, but what pop culture would become. Irreverent, postmodern, with fame and fortune as a weapon to create chaos and dissonance, on others (but also on the self). This is a collage of everything known in music up to this point. An effort that will take another generation to see again, if that.

Reminds me of the stuff I got into in college. More moody, sensitive music. Very much of its time. Also noticed that every artist that won the Mercury Prize in the early 2000s was added on this list? Was there no other "known" artists at the time apart from those that won this prize or something?

"I tell you what, the show is being recorded and televised for England, and uh, they said, they told me, they said ’you gotta do this song, you gotta do that song, you know, you gotta stand like this and act like this.' I just don’t get it, man, you know? I'm here to do what you want me to and what I want to do, Alright, okay? Yeah. So what do you want to hear?" "We want to thank the officials of San Quentin Prison, all of the guards for helping us out. The warden, every one of them. Appreciate it." (Boos) "Aww, you don't really mean that now!" Was laughing so hard in between the colorful themes and lyrics. Cash is more emboldened than ever here. A class act. This is what a live album should be like.

Everything has written everything possible on this album, so I'll just say this: I bought this album as a teenager, listened to a few songs, and never did so again. I don't think I was ready. As an adult, with a new family life, all of the album's themes are far more pertinent than they were before. The complexity of being human, of being together, on this planet. This music is not of this world. These melodies and vocal phrases and structures are indescribable. I've studied music and have no idea how one writes music like this. Stevie Wonder is a human being, flaws and all, but he truly believes what he sings and what he "sees" in all of us. That we are capable of something greater, of something greater than ourselves, that there is no act more daring than to love, and that spirituality is personal yet universal, that salvation comes to all who save each other, that humanity and nature is all we have in spite of our beliefs. Listened to this back to back for days, flabbergasted at everything. The drumming, the harmonica playing, the rich and textured mix, plus his singing turning into hollering from time to time. Left humbled and marveled. I can't believe that this was his 18th album, as he was just about to retire and head to West Africa to do more humanitarian work. It's one of the great gifts to humanity. We should be sending a copy of this into space. 5 million stars, and it's not even my favorite album of all time. No album compares.

I love Amy and honestly am a bit disturbed by the creepy, borderline misogynistic reviews here (and on other parts of this site). So what if the content is about her relationships. Isn't that what, uhhh, MOST OF POP MUSIC IN HISTORY IS ALL ABOUT?? Is moderating reviews simply not cool anymore?? This album shows that she was already greatness in the making, at the age of 19. A crooning voice made in heaven, with eclectic jazzy and trip-hop ideas already at the forefront. Too bad the production is bogged down by "experimentation" that is atmospheric at best and lazy and pointless at worst. In her words: "I've never heard the album from start to finish. I don't have it in my house. Well, the marketing was fucked, the promotion was terrible. Everything was a shambles. It's frustrating, because you work with so many idiots—but they're nice idiots. So you can't be like, "You're an idiot." They know that they're idiots." Hilarious! Can't argue with that! Still gets a 3 for her efforts, too bad it's too spotty. They should have just put Back to Black on the list. Since she's from the UK, I guess both had to be on there. Thanks, Dimery. Post-script: it appears that this has already been taken off the list in new editions. Agreed, sadly.

I love that this album continues to divide and confuse people. This was one of the first albums I ever received as a teenager (from my mom), along with Dark Side of the Moon and Houses of the Holy. The latter two were life changing, but it was the politics of Freak Out! that really set the bar for me. First off, Zappa and the Mothers were never hippies - they were rejected by the hippies, if anything. Second, I don't know any hippy people that listened to Varèse unless it's La Monte Young or Terry Riley or someone like that. Third, this album is more like a demented vaudeville/grand guignol of American society packaged as trendy psychedelic flower power music of the time, a movement that Frank HATED, and more so because he hated conformists and hypocrites of all kinds. You didn't come to Haight Ashbury to be part of a social movement, you came here as an excuse to not work, to get high, and sleep around. And YET, he was even more unforgiving to conformist people that led a traditional life because he felt that they had the largest superiority complex of all (I'm aware of the irony, Zappa was no saint either). In the end, I think he was just trying to call people out on their hypocrisy. Everything is attacked here: the government, the establishment, the trends, the mediocrity of American society, packaged in ironic music that gets weirder and more terrifying as it develops. Lots of doo-wop and bebop (two of his favorites), funny moments sure, but ugly (Motherly Love is just gross), and weird moments as all get-out. "Who Are the Brain Police?" scared me as a teen, and still does today. Still so true after 60 years (that "we" police our mind, not the powers that be). Sound collages, musique concrète, and lots of tape manipulation between this tight and crazy band. Genius studio work as well as musicianship Surprised a lot of these lines between the lyrics aren't memes yet, but Frank was really ahead of his time, though he was just getting started here. I honestly don't know why they didn't include Absolutely Free, Uncle Meat, and Weasels Ripped My Flesh in the book to showcase just how wild and intense and talented this band was, as this and the other Mothers album make them seem like a novelty act to the unsuspecting reader. This is the real deal. Love it or leave it. Proud to call myself a freak (inertly speaking), though I definitely have learned to be a nicer person since. There's no middle ground with Zappa. He already saw an America deteriorating, and it's amazing to listen to this 60 years later and learn that we haven't learned anything since Vietnam and Nixon. An all-time classic.

I'm giving this a 5 only because the top review giving this a 1 (!!) is the dumbest thing I've read so far on this site (and I'm sure it will get worst). The fact that the "review" is unfunny and mean-spirited is one thing, but its argument is baffling: Rush was the catalyst of a movement that "murdered" prog rock?? Really? HAS to be a troll post. I don't know everything about music but prog and arena rock was already on its way out by the end of the 70s. If anything, punk and new wave (and hard rock and metal, a bit) changed everything in popular rock, and that guy has completed the list, and should know this, but maybe he woke up on the wrong side of the bed the day he wrote the review. Or, maybe, was dumped by someone that was a major Rush fanatic. Who knows. Not a perfect album, but brilliant playing and fantastically smart lyrics (and drumming! That drumming!) from Peart all the way through. I can forgive some of the corny moments for the thick production and heavy riffs. This was the album that made me a Rush fan, and was a perfect use of all of the studio wizardry at the time with top top-notch playing and quirky chord and song structures. Not my favorite Rush album, but a classic and love that Tom Sawyer and Limelight gets love to this day in the sea of terrible radio selections we have to wade through. Also, should note that my former boss is friends with Lee and says that he and Lifeson are really sweet guys for big rock stars. Really humble too if you read interviews with them. Hardly the Judases of prog rock!! Can't wait to see them on tour next year.

This is it: Elvis Costello's one truly great album. Every song is a winner, and I've enjoyed this not as a guilty pleasure, but a genuinely smart and insightful pop rock album with really cool punk, blues, and reggae influences added in spades. My only gripe is the production (a bit tinny) but he literally was broke at the time and did what he could. As a result, it's sincere and authentic as it gets when it comes to the genre. Costello is a knowledgeable guy when it comes to music styles and playing but it doesn't always translate in his albums. Here, hungry and ambitious, he produces probably the best album of his career. I love these melodies and lyrics so much - great when I need to take a break from more complex music. 4.5 stars.

This is great, everyone. It's the Monkees, sure, but this is what they sounded like when they were able to write their own songs! Stop comparing every 60s act to the Beatles (even if it's the Monkees)!!

Goin' Mobile is the only reason that this doesn't get a perfect score. Sloppy and amateurish compared to the rest. Actually one of their worst songs ever. However, the rest of the album is incredible and lives up to the hype. Cannot believe that Townsend was 25 at the time and writing songs this insightful and mature. That scream from Daltrey at the end of Won't Get Fooled again is the just greatest, most ecstatic of all time. Moon's drumming is just insane and adds so much to the polyrythms. And the fact that the keyboard arrangements were inspired by Terry Riley only adds to the greatness. There's nothing really else to say. This is an example of peak talent in every way.

Crazy that after all these years I've never listened to anything by Ian Dury (even after years working for college radio). I honestly feel this is as essential to the UK as the Dictators is to the US (basically a footnote in the greater punk rock movement), but it's quirky and atypical enough to give me a chance to listen to his other stuff. Must have been really racy and wild when it came out - the fact that it actually was a hit given the time period is impressive. I enjoy his Cockney delivery and witty juxtapositions in his rhymes - it makes anyone inspired enough to pick up a mic and do something similar. Haters are gonna hate. Today, a lot of lyrical moments are quite embarrassing and cringe-worthy (similar to some of Zappa's adult "humor") but the band is mean and tight and creative enough to make this rather memorable. Giving it a 3 because it's pretty out there for a list of mainly popular music but not exactly my favorite offering from this era.

What's up with all the 1's and borderline misogyny on this site everytime there's a female-led R&B album on the list? Are the reviewers just bored, middle-aged white guys that work in accounting that have nothing better to do with their time? Are David Bowie and Radiohead the only artists in their collection or something? But I digress (or do I?). Wouldn't normally give this a 5 but from now on all albums that get a 1 regularly (unless they REALLY deserve it, like Korn and Kid Rock), will get this score. Gotta break the algorithm somehow. I remember when this came out, working for college radio. So trippy, cool, and different. Haven't really followed her music since but FKA twigs continues to push the boundaries of so many types of music, not just R&B. Like the 21st century put into a blender. More interesting now, given all of the terrors of AI and deepfakes today. It sounds like disassociation and disintegration happening in real time. You have to listen to it quite a few times to get it. Or, don't. But stop giving it 1's just because it doesn't grab you right away. I wish users would use "didn't listen" more often if they are too intimidated to enjoy something new.

Oh, geeze. You win, Beck. This gets a 5. Normally I'd give Morning Phase the 5, but this will have to do as it's the only one that's in the book along Odelay. Word of advice. This album was generated the day before my wedding, and I stupidly listened to it the morning of. Don't do this, unless you'd like to bawl your eyes out before what should be the happiest day of your life. This album is heartbreaking yet beautiful. Conflicting emotions of love and loss, truly mature but full of experimentation with reverb, odd chords, and vicious string arrangements. Only Ween's Quebec comes close, in my mind, as far as confessional rock albums go. It's a difficult listen, yet filled with hope. I can't believe I missed it after all this time. Maybe a bit too long and painful, but listening it in phases is perhaps better (akin to how we grieve). Nothing more to say here. Truly sensational.

Back in the early 2000s, I stumbled upon a reviewer and musician (probably no longer alive) called "MurrayTheCat" who wrote tons of very enthusiastic reviews on classical music, jazz, and rock from the 60s and 70s. I discovered so many bands thanks to this guy, and the Small Faces was one of them. I love the hits from the band to this day, but they are sounding more and more dated. This album doesn't seem to coincide with the list's purpose anymore. I enjoy how British it is - absurd, irreverent, carnival-esque at times, with lots of whimsy. The narration doesn't really bother me - Stanley Unwin should have his place in Anglophone culture along Tolkien for his command with language and witticisms. The music? Not bad - I enjoy the old mono mix with a good stereo system (oozes with texture) - the lyrics and vocals hooks? Silly. The packaging was cool at the time though useless, using a tin can format which constantly slid off shelves and was expensive to produce. I find concept albums difficult to nail overall - but they definitely gave this a shot and though it doesn't go anywhere, it still holds up in its own way. I'd give this a 2.5 now for the effort, and for nostalgia, and I kept discovering more esoteric psychedelic through bands like the Small Faces, but it's not really anything I have the urge to listen to again.

It starts with a howl. Groaning, screeching, screaming. Guitar and bass as thick as sludge. Tribal drums, bleating saxophones. This album opened my eyes to how the boundaries of rock could be pushed at a time where its initial energy was fading in the mainstream. Ron Asheton has been a huge influence on my guitar playing since I got into punk music and Iggy Pop has constantly inspired me in terms of what we should expect of a performance. This album of course in raunchy and dodgy at some points theme-wise, and reading up on it, the "Fun House" was a pretty disgusting junkie hangout with allegedly blood stains all over the walls due to all of the shooting up upstairs in addition to orgies downstairs. But that's rock and roll. Before bass player Dave Alexander left and passed away at a young age, this band was the meanest, most vicious entity in rock at the time. Decay and decline of modern society are at a full exposé here, so they probably figured resorting to more primitive and chaotic forms of expression may be the solution to get through it all. Scott Asheton's drumming drives this in addition to Iggy's screams, with a thumping, almost caveman like approach to the pace. Many thanks to Steve Mackay for providing the most evil sound they ever channeled, via the saxophone - I would have never gotten into free jazz if not for prognosticators and instigators such as himself (so glad I caught him live with Iggy and with Mike Watt before he died). I know this whole thing by heart. That first guitar note is a shot in the dark, not bothering whether we see the light or not. Pure raw power, one of the best and craziest rock albums in history. Play it fucking loud!

Amazing that this was done only with samples and three devices. A music geek finds a way to make it his own yet show utmost respect to what he's sampling. Like Since I Left You by the Avalanches, it sounds like it was done totally live (yet even more so). This album made such an impression on me - it's cerebral, haunting, and unlike anything that's come out since. Precludes so much in hip-hop and ambiant music. I haven't listened to this in a while and every melody has stuck with me since. A perfect album, amongst the greats.

Makes me want to listen to Black Box's "Mixed Up!" and I write this as if it's a good thing.

Hello, it's me again. The person that gave Tank Battles a 5 mostly for enjoying it but also out of spite for all of the negative reviews. Got good news! This other German cabaret influenced album only gets a 2. I also really wanted to like this, and I somewhat enjoy the songs that were collaborated with Cave, Waits, and Scott Walker (the Costello ones suck - surprise, surprise!). However, this is basically what I DON'T like about showtunes. Often shmaltzy, overblown, and over-sung, with very basic lyrical concepts. The production is hit or miss, I suppose it depends on the original song's composer. Lemper brings an interesting approach to the songs, but otherwise, what's it doing on here? Lots of cool releases in 2000 that still hold up well but not in the book. White Pepper by Ween, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out by Yo La Tengo, Rated R by Queens of the Stone Age, Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven! by Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Flood by Boris, Voodoo by D'Angelo, Relationship of Command by At the Drive-In, Supreme Clientele by Ghostface Killah... Could go on and on the fact that none of these are on the list and that, as of today, Lemper's album is still in this book while dozens of great albums from new bands were removed in more recent editions. Absolutely baffling - I suppose Demery has a soft spot for this type of music but what is its significance? Only makes me want to listen to the artists that wrote these songs, without doing a service to Lemper herself. What a waste of time.

This is an album I don't even need to listen to anymore, as all of the melodies are imprinted in my mind. I first bought this album at 15, and I couldn't stop listening to it. The story is silly and often dumb, but there's a lot of profound lyrical moments. However, it was the guitar work that really grabbed me. Townsend doesn't get enough credit as a acoustic guitar player, let alone a composer. Here, he managed to write maybe 5 or 6 melodies and chord transitions, and beautifully embellish them throughout the whole piece. Similar to classical music or jazz, these slight variations are what get me, especially when they suddenly return throughout the piece. As someone with synesthesia, I constantly associate musical pieces with shapes and sometimes colors. This album for me is played in the void, with notes and melodies making up lines searching for light. The fact that Tommy is completely devoid of senses, other than tactile ones, made a big influence on me on how we need to "feel" music, or art in general, from a primal point of view, to tap into new emotions. Maybe none of this makes sense, but it's one of the only albums that I can think about and immediately get goosebumps. It's so massive, so melodic, and cohesive. I don't even care if it fails as a concept. I would have loved to have seen this live. The best album the Who ever made, hands down. No rock opera has come close, not even Born to Run or The Wall (both albums that I LOVE, by the way). By the way, for those shocked with the content, such as "Uncle Ernie" - Townsend has said that he was sexually abused as a child. I feel that this album was a way for him to work with his emotions as well as give a voice to those that cannot express themselves when dealing with trauma and horror. It's bleak content but so is the world. Finding beauty and restoring justice in it is the solution.

Imagine it's 1957. George Avakian, known for his work with Miles Davis, produces this and no questions are asked. 10 years later, George Harrison produces his masterpiece "Within You Without You" with the sitar as a prominent instrument. This must have really blown minds in the west. Today, with social media, everything is easily discoverable, and things remain less surprising. While this album is fine as a historical reference, it's a bit tame compared to what Shankar would do later. The pitfall of this list: "first" doesn't always mean "best". Hopefully has gotten more people to explore Shankar and traditional music from India in general. There's so much to explore, it's crazy.

The top review is a country hating one. Typical. Doesn't matter, none of us, *especially* that reviewer, will be half the man that Haggard was. A native of the Bakersfield region (look it up, it's the land that time forgot), he taught himself to play the guitar at age 12, and by 13 he was robbing and riding freight trains at a young age and then did time many times over. Later, as an adult and inmate at San Quentin, he attended Johnny Cash's concert, which profoundly influenced his desire to be a recording artist. It's like this guy was destined to be a country music outlaw. It's a shame that comps are not allowed, as I feel that they represent Merle a lot better than this album, but this was an important release for its time as he wrote almost all of the songs himself, and it sold well in spite of the rather rugged and in-your-face content. So, it gets a 4.5, only because it's the only Haggard album on the list. Plus, once again, this kind of country music is GREAT. True stories and wonderful melodies and harmonies. Can't wait when we get past the "I listen to everything but country and hip-hop" phase of humanity.

The top review is baffling. Dude, even Stones fans hate Mick Jagger. You're not impressing anyone. With that said, I do like that they included this album as it's seldom discussed compared to their later 60s, post-Brian Jones albums. Jones, as problematic as an individual as he was, really had a keen ear for incorporating instruments such as the sitar, the marimba, the koto, the dulcimer, and more to add really wild textures to their blues/roots sound. Can't really stand a lot of the sexist lyrics in the songs, but as someone that's read up on this band time and again, a lot of this was done to provoke. Still outdated, though. However, "Out of Time" and "Mother's Little Helper" are timeless classics of the 60s, both in content and in sound. Overall, the album shows this band coming together in a more mature, cohesive way, and I'm saying this as a non-Stones fan. Unrelated to the album: I feel that a lot of people are using this website to simply trash bands that they feel are unworthy of inclusion. This is a list of POPULAR MUSIC. This is not a RYM dumping ground. I don't listen regularly to most albums on the list, but I'm here for my personal education and to learn about important historical, cultural, and commercial trends in Anglocentric pop music. Too specific? Then this project is not for you! Sorry, just felt the need to rant, I'm just constantly surprised by the reviews on this site.

What the hell, 4.5 stars. A great combo of covers and originals. The production is of its time, but so timeless and well-done. Lauper has a wonderful, powerful delivery, and as person is amongst the greats. Another artist that I completely ignored in favor of more alternative offerings. So sorry about that! Late for the party, but still welcome I imagine. Great vibe - "punk in a prom dress" is the best comparison I've read so far.

Another Mercury Prize nominee on this list from the early 2000s. Back in the early 2000s maybe I could have gotten behind this, but today it's a tad too "indie generic" to be on this list of "timeless" classics. I feel Dimery and Co. did some hard gambles on newer music, but this has since been removed in recent editions. Good riddance. 3 stars only because the Os Mutantes cover was pretty cool, and some of the lengthy instrumental stuff with pianos and horns is nice at the end.

Gene Clark leaves the Byrds, and it shows. I really do enjoy a lot of the tracks - "Eight Miles High", probably the last thing Clark helped write for them, is a seminal slice of psychedelia, incorporating John Coltrane influenced guitar playing and raga based music. This band was one of the best guitar bands of their time, so it's pulled off quite well! But, it's overall disjointed and lots of filler, druggy efforts, and throwaway blues jams. What made their first two albums timeless makes this one feel like a cash-in on the trends of the time. What's really weird about this list is that this is included along with Younger Then Yesterday and Sweetheart of the Rodeo, but NO Turn! Turn! Turn! ?? Who knows. Maybe because two Gene Clark albums are already on here. It sucks when the editor doesn't always share the same taste as the fans of the band.

Overrated, but still a classic. These guys managed to make a perfect balance of grunge and pop, with dark, angsty undertones. Still relate a lot to the concepts of being a misunderstood, different kid, which still rings true in adult life at times. Love the guitar playing and drums in particular, and though Vedder inspired an entire generation of boring lead singers (remember Creed???), he's a great guy and an original and managed to make friends with Neil Young and the Travelling Wilburys, so he and the band are not that bad!

2.5 stars only because I still enjoy the title track after all these years and having never listened to the full album before, lots of highlights production-wise and from the guitars (especially Joe Walsh). The rest? Cheesy, often reeking of insincerity, compared to what I know about this kind of music. Cock-rock structures with wimpy vocals. In spite of the dark content, too safe. (I grew up in California, so they're not the only ones to write about the themes at play, yet it's presented as truly insightful by so many fans). There's a reason that the Eagles is a joke to many people in the world of rock, but I came in with an open mind. Just not for me, though it should be in principle as I enjoy a lot of rock albums like this one. So, why do I enjoy "Rumours" but not this? Who knows, maybe it's too masculine for me. I'll listen again in another 10 years.

The top two reviews are wild. "So much of Prince's catalog is phenominal [sic]. This album just doesn't have any of those songs, I guess." "Prince didn't have good albums, only few good songs." Ask any fan of Prince, most will probably say that this is his magnum opus. (Though I'm more of a fan of Dirty Mind - and, beats me why it's not on this list but so many Costello and Bowie albums are.) I would argue that it's the best ALBUM that Prince made, simply because he was at the height of his creativity here in terms of putting American music in a blender. No longer could he be called a "rock" or "funk" or "R&B" artist - simply an ARTIST in every since of the word. Let's go through side A as an example - the title track is haunting, cold, bitter. Dark, bluesy riffs, cavernous drum and bass. Not at all what you'd call party music but a sober realization of the world inherited at the time. "Hurricane Annie ripped the ceiling off a church and killed everyone inside You turn on the telly and every other story is tellin' you somebody died Sister killed her baby 'cause she couldn't afford to feed it And we're sending people to the moon In September, my cousin tried reefer for the very first time Now he's doing horse—it's June" Then, Prince blows us away with a Paisley Park inspired psychedelic ride with "Play in the Sunshine", filled with optimism and bouncy, complex guitar and drum structures. "Housequake" follows, with the strangest tempo, in the key of C♯ major (??), with a non-traditional structure where new dance beats are learned. "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker", with its dialogue and experimental mix, borders on a new form of R&B not yet explored. That's side A alone - the rest continues with Prince's ability to twist emotions and drive for experimentation that he would perhaps never top again. Be it the crooner cheese of "Slow Love", the sensational psychedelic "Starfish and Coffee", the funky, weird "If I Was Your Girlfriend" (introducing his alter-ego Camille), pop-rocker "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man", and the only great Christian rock anthem maybe ever, "The Cross". As a fan of rhythm, texture, and drums and guitars, this is such a paradise for my ears. To enjoy this, you have to already be open to everything that makes pop and rock music great. Prince celebrated this here, and his live band and performances at the time were second to none. A master craftsman in every sense, with all of the tools. I can understand that as an album it might be turn people off, but for every critique, far more people of every background imaginable have joined the party. This album is unlike anything I've heard before or since. Simply essential in every way.

Funny what people remember and focus on with Dylan. I've listened to this album on and off since I was teenager, and some of these are like listening to it for the first time. The sound is cool and Kooper definitely added the organ-driven sound that gave this album texture and feeling unlike stuff that Dylan did before. However, it's really the lyrics where he's at the top of his game. Some of the songs veer on Stones blues throwaways, but did ANY blues artist write lyrics like this? "The king of the Philistines, his soldiers to save Puts jawbones on their tombstones and flatters their graves Puts the pied pipers in prison and fattens the slaves Then sends them out to the jungle" "Well, when the pipeline gets broken And I'm lost on the river bridge I’m all cracked up on the highway And in the water’s edge Here again she comes, down the thruway Ready to sew me up with a thread" "Up on Housing Project Hill It's either fortune or fame You must pick one or the other Though neither of them are to be what they claim If you're lookin' to get silly You better go back to from where you came Because the cops don't need you And, man, they expect the same" These are from THREE different songs, and those aren't even the best ones. As much as I still enjoy "Like a Rolling Stone", it's really "Ballad of a Thin Man", "Queen Jane Approximately", and ESPECIALLY "Desolation Row" that pull me in, with thought-provoking, disturbing, and wild imagery that brought him as a postmodern poet that inspired everyone to get to his level of lyrical and phrasal creativity. The instrumentation is juicier and more interesting, but he was really just get started here. He was really seeing society changing and morphing before his very eyes. The world of tomorrow would be packaged and commercialized, and it's up to us to remember what is true. As this verse goes on "Desolation Row": "At midnight all the agents And the superhuman crew Come out and round up everyone That knows more than they do Then they bring them to the factory Where the heart attack machine Is strapped across their shoulders And then the kerosene Is brought down from the castles By insurance men who go Check to see that nobody is escaping To Desolation Row" Shivers every time. Focus on what's being said, and not the voice itself. You might learn something new.

Nostalgia alert! Fact: I was obsessed with this band as a pre-teen. On MTV (in Brazil) they were everywhere. Their looks, their heavy hitting sound, their slacker/skater related culture... I basically ate it all up. Also was the first real rock band I saw as a kid, and it made a huge impression on me. I still like a lot of the tracks on here (especially the hits, yes, even "Suck My Kiss", as dumb as it is), but I admit that Kiedis's vocals/lyrics are often more embarrassing than ever. I hadn't realized how sexually blatant and stupid they were until re-reading it all here. However, the band is really tight and talented, even here. Very focused, heavy, and groovy sound. I'm a big fan of John Frusciante and Flea, and I honestly think they never topped what they did here (ditto for Chad Smith, super underrated drummer in general). Blistering guitars with a intensely creative drum/bass combo of so many styles imaginable. The hits are still classics to this day (in my 13-year-old mind), but there's a lot of filler and ironically not enough noise, which they do great here. It's as if the band didn't really know what they wanted to do or they had to basically put all of their B-sides/throwaways on the album under contractual obligations. Relistening to this, I now have a greater perspective on Kiedis's feud with Mike Patton, which was truly embarrassing, for those that haven't read up on it. It's as if he actually wanted to be more like Patton but didn't have the talent to do it. Sort of figures why this album is all over the place. It's often like a Faith No More record without the brains and all of the $$$ ambitions, which is saying a lot given similarities with both bands' sound/lyrical content.

I've gained a lot of respect for Jack White over the years as a producer and a musician. I hadn't listened to this all the way and there's some new favorites - "Ball and Biscuit" is one of my favorite new guitar tracks. Growing up watching Michel Gondry's music videos of the White Stripes, I still love all the hits, but there's quite a lot of filler and sameness throughout, even for a garage rock inspired band. Still, their sound is undeniably back to the basics for the time, especially Meg's drumming, which is still one of my favorites to this day with its hard-hitting, minimalist approach. 3.5 stars.

I admit it: this is the first time that I've listened to this album in full. I'll never forget the day I first heard Frank Ocean perform. It was on SNL in 2012, performing "Thinkin Bout You" (with a full band, John Meyer on guitar). I had never heard anyone sing like that - such rawness, so traditional yet contemporary, with notes of blues, ambient music, and trip-hop. "Pyramids" was cool as well, and it was clear that Ocean had *something* that made him destined for greatness, in the same vein as Lauryn Hill and D'Angelo, maybe Prince at times. Alas, like the former two artists, Ocean has not released any new album in a long while (10 years as of this writing). I find this to be a shame, and a shame especially that I wasn't listening more attentively to his stuff, as this is a gem through and through. Ocean has an odd vocal style. It sounds generic at first, until you listen more carefully. Every note is intonated with emotion, and finished with an emotional gasp. The beats and textures ooze and meld with his voice, providing a beautiful milkshake of tone and density. If I could taste this album, it would be so sweet at first, so bitter in the finish. The lyrics are filled with clever juxtaposition and irony, and often very direct about his points of view on society's degradation. I'm old enough to realize that great music is to be found everywhere - what matters is sincerity and the daringness to explore new sounds and ideas. Ocean plays it safe, but only so much. There's so much experimentation and every song is completely different. Add that to his mystique as an artist, and you have a timeless album for the ages. How he didn't win best new artist or AOTY at the Grammys is beyond me, but then I saw who did - Mumford & Sons, Gotye, fun., Adele. Artists that nobody talks about anymore. But, Ocean continues to fascinate, as we await his newest album, should it ever be released. This will regularly be on rotation here at home. 5 stars.