1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a highly readable list of the best, the most important, and the most influential pop albums from 1955 through 2003. Carefully selected by a team of international critics, each album is a groundbreaking work seminal to the understanding and appreciation of music from the 1950s to the present. Included with each entry are production details and credits as well as reproductions of original album cover art. Perhaps most important of all, each album featured comes with an authoritative description of its importance and influence. Among the critics involved in selecting the list are some of the best known music reviewers and commentators, including Theunis Bates (music writer for Time and urban editor at worldpop.com), Jon Harrington (staff writer at MTV), Seth Jacobson (writer for Dazed & Confused), as well as many others.
I love lists. On the other hand, any fucker with an opinion can put together a list, so let me modify that to say I like lists but I love lists that include justification for each entry, or have some over-arching criteria by which they are constructed. If this book were merely a bare list, it wouldn't be particularly elevated above the thousands of other lists (on discogs for example), but it is more than that. A list like this will never satisfy everyone, and in fact it's almost guaranteed to satisfy no-one. There are plenty of entries in this book that I would kick out, and others I would include, but that's not really the point. This isn't a list of my personal favorites, and it shouldn't be. That list would be useless to me. The value of this book for me is that I'm listening to things I might otherwise not hear, and even if they aren't to my taste, there is value in the experience.
Partway Through And Drunk
Then again, there is not a single album listed by The Church. Starfish is my all time favorite, most influential (on me) album. Not having a single entry by The Church is enough to make me fucking annoyed at this list, putting aside the fact I could include 3 more albums besides Starfish. And also Tom Petty only has a single album (the first self titled) so where the fuck is Southern Accents, Full Moon Fever, and Into The Great Wide Open, all of which are arguably more solid than the first admittedly great album. Seriously what credibility do they have not including the album that has "Don't Come Around Here No More". Or maybe I'm just writing this while coming down from a late night drunken music listening night so just fucking ignore me.
Process And Criteria
I started reading this book on June 18th, 2016 with the intent to listen to every album all the way through, regardless of whether I had heard it before or not. Initially I had no particular discipline with respect to pace. Additionally I would have to wait for a physical CD to arrive, which would delay my progress. At some point, I started to use Google Play for streaming, which vastly accelerated my ability to progress through the list, and I settled on 1 album each weekday. Later I started doing the weekends also. I listened to the albums in the same sequence as in the book, and did not skip around, and I always listened to the complete album in its original order, and I never skipped a track even if I hated it. And of course I read each review as I started each album. I also kept a log of listening stats and thoughts about each album. I listened to the last album in the book on Saturday February 15th, 2020.
Some Statistics
My journey through this book took 1338 days.
I already owned 301 of the albums.
I had already heard 358 of the albums (counting the ones I owned). I used a very strict criteria for this number. For an album to count, I must have listened to the album in sequence as whole. If I had heard every track on the album separately, say on the radio, that did not count.
I had previously heard 1 or more tracks from 299 additional albums. I used fairly strict criteria to count for this number. I had to be familiar with, or have very clear memory of a track for it to count. It could not be some vague feeling that I had probably heard a song.
I bought 38 albums from this book that I did not previously own. A couple of these were because I absolutely could not find them for legal streaming, but most were because I want to buy them, or thought they were something I should own anyway.
I have marked an additional 25 albums as candidates for purchase.
Completion
So was this book worth it? For someone like me, who is obsessed with music, and also enjoys a very disciplined and persistent approach to finding music, the answer is a wholehearted 'yes'. Of course I didn't agree with every selection or opinion in the book. Some of the reviewers pissed me off, particularly when they would try to justify the inclusion of their particular choice by insulting other music; sometimes there would be a delicious, or infuriating, irony when the insulted release was also in the book. Even for many of the albums I did not like, I usually found it valuable to learn about its historical significance, and to actually give a full listen. And then there were the surprise discoveries that I totally missed when they first came out, and I was thrilled to have added to my collection, such as Skunk Anansie and Eels.
Variations On A Theme
I was discussing with a friend what we might change about this book, for example we both agreed that we would personally put in a rule that each band can have only one album represented, which would make for a very different book. For example, there are three albums in here by fucking Dexys Midnight Runners, a band I absolutely loath, and the experience of listening to those three albums only made me hate them even more. There are 7 albums by the Beatles. So here are a few variations on this book that I think would be potentially interesting:
1001 Albums by 1001 Different Bands You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Totally Obscure Weird But Good Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 World Music Albums Not From The US or The UK You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Dark, Depressing, Atmospheric Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Electronic Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
and of course the best one:
Baal Of Confusion's 1001 Favorite Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
Just a short note: I thought this was a solid book of important albums, with only two flaws - including a Limp Bizkit album (should have chosen Deftones' "White Pony" or something, even Linkin Park would do), and I don't think Britney Spears fits in (but this one is just my opinion)... anyway at least the former should've been taken off. Otherwise great book with reasonably good taste.
Sinatra, Frank – In the Wee Small Hours Presley, Elvis – Elvis Presley (1956) Louvin Brothers – Tragic Songs of Life Prima, Louis – Wildest Domino, Fats – This is Fats Ellington, Duke – At Newport (1956) Sinatra, Frank – Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! Crickets – Chirping… Basie, Count – Atomic Mr Basie Monk, Thelonious – Brilliant Corners Sabú [Martínez] – Palo Congo Davis, Miles – Birth of the Cool Machito – Kenya Little Richard – Here’s… Puente, Tito & His Orchestra – Dance Mania (1958) Holiday, Billie – Lady in Satin Elliott, Jack – Jack Takes the Floor Vaughan, Sarah – At Mister Kelly’s Fitzgerald, Ella – Sings the Gershwin Song Book Charles, Ray – Genius of… (1959) Davis, Miles – Kind of Blue Robbins, Marty – Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs Brubeck, Dave – Time Out Baez, Joan – Joan Baez (1960) Presley, Elvis – Elvis is Back! Makeba, Miriam – Miriam Makeba (1960) Everly Brothers – A Date with the… Smith, Jimmy – Back at the Chicken Shack Muddy Waters – At Newport Evans, Bill – Sunday at the Village Vanguard Charles, Ray - Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music Booker T & the MGs – Green Onions Getz, Stan & Charlie Byrd – Jazz Samba Price, Ray – Night Life Beatles – With the… Dylan, Bob – Freewheelin’… Spector, Phil & Various Artists – A Christmas Gift for You Cooke, Sam – Live at the Harlem Square Mingus, Charles – Black Saint & the Sinner Lady Brown, James – Live at the Apollo (1963) Getz, Stan & João Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night Brel, Jacques – Olympia 64 Burke, Solomon – Rock ‘n’ Soul Springfield, Dusty - A Girl Called Dusty Rolling Stones – Rolling Stones (1st Album) Owens, Buck – I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail Lewis, Jerry Lee – Live at the Star Club, Hamburg Sonics – Here Are the… Dylan, Bob – Bringing it All Back Home Redding, Otis – Otis Blue… Sings Soul Beach Boys – Today! Coltrane, John – A Love Supreme King, B.B. – Live at the Regal Beatles – Rubber Soul Jansch, Bert – Bert Jansch (1st Album) Byrds, Mr Tambourine Man Dylan, Bob – Highway 61 Revisited Who – My Generation Beatles – Revolver Beach Boys – Pet Sounds Neil, Fred – Fred Neil (1st Album) Byrds – Fifth Dimension Dylan, Bob – Blonde on Blonde Monks – Black Monk Time Kinks – Face to Face Mamas & the Papas – If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears Revere, Paul & the Raiders – Midnight Ride Mothers of Invention – Freak Out! Rolling Stones – Aftermath Simon & Garfunkel – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme 13th Floor Elevators – Psychedelic Sounds of the… John Mayall’s Blues Breakers – With Eric Clapton Yardbirds – Yardbirds [aka Roger the Engineer] (1st Album) Simone, Nina – Wild is the Wind Gilberto, Astrud – Beach Samba Nico – Chelsea Girl Beatles – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Country Joe & the Fish – Electric Music for the Mind & Body Buffalo Springfield – Again Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Safe as Milk Moby Grape – Moby Grape (1st Album) Love – Da Capo Beau Brummels – Triangle Monkees – Headquarters Buckley, Tim – Goodbye & Hello Love – Forever Changes Cream – Disraeli Gears Pink Floyd – Piper at the Gates of Dawn Who – Sell Out Velvet Underground - & Nico Sinatra, Frank - Frank Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim Doors – Doors (1st Album) Byrds – Younger than Yesterday Young Rascals – Groovin’ Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow Kinks – Something Else by the… Donovan – Sunshine Superman Haggard, Merle – I’m a Lonesome Fugitive Hendrix, Jimi – Are You Experienced Electric Prunes – I Had too Much to Dream (Last Night) Lynn, Loretta – Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind) Sharma, Shivkumar / Brij Bushan Kabra / Hariprasad Chaurasia – Call of the Valley Velvet Underground – White Light/White Heat Hendrix, Jimi – Axis: Bold as Love Franklin, Aretha – I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet Traffic – Traffic (2nd Album) Incredible String Band – Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter Kinks – Village Green Preservation Society Shankar, Ravi – Sounds of India (1968) Mutantes, os – Mutantes, os (1st Album) Hendrix, Jimi – Electric Ladyland Cohen, Leonard – Songs of… Cash, Johnny – At Folsom Prison Nyro, Laura – Eli & the Thirteenth Confession Franklin, Aretha – Lady Soul Blue Cheer – Vincebus Eruptum Byrds – Notorious Byrd Brothers Big Brother & the Holding Company – Cheap Thrills United States of America – United States of America Dr John – Gris Gris Iron Butterfly – In a Gadda da Vida Pretty Things – S.F. Sorrow Simon & Garfunkel – Bookends Small Faces – Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake Band – Music from Big Pink Beck, Jeff – Truth Veloso, Caetano – Caetano Veloso (1968) Walker, Scott – Scott 2 Zombies – Odessey & Oracle Morrison, Van – Astral Weeks Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo Beatles – Beatles [aka White Album] Mothers of Invention – We’re Only in it for the Money Young, Neil – Everybody Knows This is Nowhere Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bayou Country Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash Blood, Sweat & Tears - Blood, Sweat & Tears (2nd Album) Flying Burrito Brothers – Gilded Palace of Sin Cash, Johnny – At San Quentin Creedence Clearwater Revival – Green River Beatles – Abbey Road Who – Tommy Davis, Miles – In a Silent Way Bee Gees – Odessa Pentangle – Basket of Light Rolling Stones – Let it Bleed Drake, Nick – Five Leaves Left Springfield, Dusty – Dusty in Memphis Presley, Elvis – From Elvis in Memphis Velvet Underground – Velvet Underground (3rd Album) Quicksilver Messenger Service – Happy Trails Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (1st Album) Band – Band (2nd Album) Led Zeppelin – II MC5 – Kick Out the Jams Temptations – Cloud Nine Sly & the Family Stone – Stand! Buckley, Tim – Happy Sad Chicago Transit Authority [Chicago] - Chicago Transit Authority (1969) Fairport Convention – Unhalfbricking Youngbloods – Elephant Mountain Hayes, Isaac – Hot Buttered Soul Grateful Dead – Live/Dead Kinks – Arthur: Or the Decline & Fall of the British Empire King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King Cohen, Leonard – Songs from a Room Fairport Convention – Liege & Lief Walker, Scott – Scott 4 Stooges – Stooges (1st Album) Spence, Alexander ‘Skip’ – Oar Zappa, Frank – Hot Rats Creedence Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory Derek & the Dominos – Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs Davis, Miles – Bitches Brew Spirit – Twelve Dreams of Dr Sardonicus Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1st Album) Doors – Morrison Hotel Carpenters – Close to You Still, Stephen – Stephen Stills (1st Album) Lennon, John – Plastic Ono Band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà vu Black Sabbath – Paranoid Young, Neil – After the Gold Rush Led Zeppelin – III Deep Purple – In Rock Morrison, Van – Moondance Grateful Dead – American Beauty Drake, Nick – Bryter Layter Shankar, Ananda – Ananda Shankar (1970) Who – Live at Leeds(1st Album) Soft Machine – Third Stewart, Rod – Gasoline Alley Harrison, George – All Things Must Pass Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water Stevens, Cat – Tea for the Tillerman Traffic – John Barleycorn Must Die Stooges – Fun House Taylor, James – Sweet Baby James McCartney, Paul – McCartney (1970) Santana – Abraxas Barrett, Syd – Madcap Laughs Jethro Tull – Aqualung Crosby, David – If Only I Could Remember My Name Sly & the Family Stone – There’s a Riot Goin’ On Gaye, Marvin – What’s Going On Yes – Yes Album Bee Gees – Trafalgar Who – Who’s Next King, Carole – Tapestry Hayes, Isaac – Shaft: Music from the Soundtrack Allman Brothers – At Fillmore East Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers Lennon, John – Imagine Beach Boys – Surf’s Up Yes – Fragile Doors – LA Woman Can – Tago Mago John, Elton – Madman Across the Water Parton, Dolly – Coat of Many Colors McLean, Don – American Pie Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tarkus Led Zeppelin – IV [aka Untitled / aka Four Symbols] Gainsbourg, Serge – Histoire de Melody Nelson Stewart, Rod – Every Picture Tells a Story Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Pictures at an Exhibition Cohen, Leonard – Songs of Love & Hate Mitchell, Joni – Blue Funkadelic – Maggot Brain Joplin, Janis – Pearl Kuti, Fela - With Ginger Baker: Live! Faces – A Nod is as Good as a Wink… To a Blind Horse Flamin’ Groovies – Teenage Head Clark, Gene – White Light Prine, John – John Prine (1st Album) Nilsson, Harry – Nilsson Schmilsson T.Rex – Electric Warrior Bowie, David – Hunky Dory Newman, Randy – Sail Away Deep Purple – Machine Head Big Star – # 1 Record Black Sabbath – Vol 4 Steely Dan – Can’t Buy a Thrill Young, Neil – Harvest Mayfield, Curtis – Superfly: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Slade – Slayed? Deep Purple – Made in Japan Yes – Close to the Edge Reed, Lou – Transformer Masekela, Hugh – Home is Where the Music Is Nascimento, Milton & Lo Borges – Clube da Esquina (1972) Rundgren, Todd – Something/Anything Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Will the Circle Be Unbroken? Wonder, Stevie – Talking Book Still, Stephen – Manassas T.Rex – Slider Ackles, David – American Gothic Eagles – Eagles (1st Album) Buckley, Tim – Greetings from LA Drake, Nick – Pink Moon Simon, Paul – Paul Simon (1972) Roxy Music – Roxy Music (1st Album) Alice Cooper – School’s Out Temptations – All Directions Bowie, David – Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars War – World is a Ghetto Green, Al – Let’s Stay Together Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St Lynyrd Skynyrd – Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd Incredible Bongo Band – Bongo Rock Bowie, David – Aladdin Sane King Crimson – Lark’s Tongues in Aspic Marley, Bob & the Wailers – Catch a Fire Hawkwind – Space Ritual Cale, John – Paris 1919 Can – Future Days Reed, Lou – Berlin Genesis – Selling England by the Pound Gaye, Marvin – Let’s Get it On Martyn, John – Solid Air Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure Faust – IV Hancock, Herbie – Head Hunters Mott the Hoople – Mott Oldfield, Mike – Tubular Bells Rundgren, Todd – A Wizard, a True Star John, Elton – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Steely Dan – Countdown to Ecstasy Jennings, Waylon – Honky Tonk Heroes Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon Wonder, Stevie – Innervisions ZZ Top – Tres Hombres McCartney, Paul & Wings – Band on the Run Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Next Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies Iggy & the Stooges – Raw Power Isley Brothers – 3 + 3 New York Dolls – New York Dolls (1st Album) Eno, Brian – Here Come the Warm Jets Bad Company – Bad Company (1st Album) Genesis – Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Otis, Shuggie – Inspiration Information Wonder, Stevie – Fullfillingness’ First Finale Clapton, Eric – 461 Ocean Boulevard Kraftwerk – Autobahn Morrison, Van – It’s Too Late to Stop Now Mitchell, Joni – Court & Spark Queen – II Roxy Music – Country Life Tangerine Dream – Phaedra Sparks – Kimono My House Supertramp – Crime of the Century Thompson, Richard & Linda – I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight Scott-Heron, Gil & Brian Jackson – Winter in America Queen – Sheer Heart Attack 10cc – Sheet Music Young, Neil – On the Beach Jones, George – Grand Tour Clark, Gene – No Other Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic Newman, Randy – Good Old Boys Marley, Bob & the Wailers – Natty Dread Wyatt, Robert – Rock Bottom Parsons, Gram – Grievous Angel Eno, Brian – Another Green World Dictators – Go Girl Crazy! Neu! – ‘75 Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti Jarrett, Keith – Köln Concert Aerosmith – Toys in the Attic Bowie, David – Young Americans Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey Springsteen, Bruce – Born to Run Harris, Emmylou – Pieces of the Sky Dion – Born to Be With You Mitchell, Joni – Hissing of Summer Lawns Waits, Tom – Nighthawks at the Diner Burman, Rahul Dev – Shalimar (Soundtrack) Young, Neil – Tonight’s the Night Dylan, Bob – Blood on the Tracks Smith, Patti – Horses Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here Queen – A Night at the Opera Nelson, Willie – Red Headed Stranger Earth, Wind & Fire – That’s the Way of the World Mayfield, Curtis – There’s No Place Like America Today Petty, Tom & the Heartbreakers - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (1st Album) Modern Lovers – Modern Lovers [Rec 1972, not released until 1976] Bowie, David – Station to Station Mitchell, Joni – Hejira Boston – Boston (1st Album) Eagles – Hotel California ABBA – Arrival Kiss – Destroyer Rush – 2112 Ben, Jorge – África Brasil Armatrading, Joan – Joan Armatrading (1st Album) Aerosmith – Rocks Parliament – Mothership Connection Penguin Café Orchestra – Music from the Penguin Café Jarre, Jean Michel – Oxygene Ramones – Ramones (1st Album) Kuti, Fela – Zombie Tosh, Peter – Legalize It Wonder, Stevie – Songs in the Key of Life Frampton, Peter – Frampton Comes Alive Eno, Brian – Before & After Science Kraftwerk – Trans-Europe Express Joel, Billy – Stranger, the Marley, Bob & the Wailers – Exodus Electric Light Orchestra – Out of the Blue Weather Report – Heavy Weather Muddy Waters – Hard Again Stranglers – Rattus Norvegicus Clash – Clash (1st Album) Bowie, David – Low Steely Dan – Aja Wire – Pink Flag Martyn, John – One World Talking Heads – 77 Fleetwood Mac – Rumours Bowie, David – ‘Heroes’ Wilson, Dennis – Pacific Ocean Blue Suicide – Suicide (1st Album) Iggy Pop – Idiot, the Gabriel, Peter – Peter Gabriel (I) Television – Marquee Moon Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell Costello, Elvis – My Aim is True Iggy Pop – Lust for Life Dury, Ian – New Boots & Panties!! Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the… Pere Ubu – Modern Dance Kraftwerk – Man Machine Blondie – Parallel Lines Regina, Elís – Vento de Maio Pere Ubu – Dub Housing Only Ones – Only Ones (1st Album) Costello, Elvis – This Year’s Model Jam – All Mod Cons Ely, Joe – Honky Tonk Masquerade Adverts – Crossing the Red Sea with the… Big Star – Third (aka Sister Lovers) Residents – Duck Stab/Buster & Glen Public Image Ltd – Public Image Magazine – Real Life Springsteen, Bruce – Darkness on the Edge of Town Funkadelic – One Nation Under a Groove Throbbing Gristle – DOA: Third & Final Report Thin Lizzy – Live & Dangerous Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings & Food Buzzcocks – Another Music in a Different Kitchen Van Halen – Van Halen (1st Album) Colón, Willie & Rubén Blades – Siembra Cars – Cars (1st Album) Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo Dire Straits – Dire Straits (1st Album) Saints – Eternally Yours Gaye, Marvin – Here, My Dear Nelson, Willie – Stardust Chic – C’est Chic X-ray Spex – Germ Free Adolescents Eno, Brian – Ambient 1: Music for Airports Siouxsie & the Banshees – Scream, the AC/DC – Highway to Hell Sister Sledge – We Are Family Crusaders – Street Life Germs – GI B52s – B52s (1st Album) Czukay, Holger – Movies Police – Reggatta de Blanc Fall – Live at the Witch Trials Talking Heads – Fear of Music Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures Chic – Risqué Undertones – Undertones (1st Album) Clash – London Calling Japan – Quiet Life Faithfull, Marianne – Broken English Slits – Cut Costello, Elvis – Armed Forces Young, Neil – Rust Never Sleeps Gang of Four – Entertainment! Cheap Trick – At Budokan Fleetwood Mac – Tusk Pink Floyd – Wall, the Public Image Ltd – Metal Box Jackson, Michael – Off the Wall Damned – Machine Gun Etiquette Numan, Gary – Pleasure Principle Specials – Specials (1st Album) Adam & the Ants – Kings of the Wild Frontier Dexys Midnight Runners – Searching for the Young Soul Rebels AC/DC – Back in Black Cramps – Songs the Lord Taught Us Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables Gabriel, Peter – Peter Gabriel (III) Soft Boys – Underwater Moonlight Cure – Seventeen Seconds Echo & the Bunnymen – Crocodiles Motörhead – Ace of Spades Killing Joke – Killing Joke (1st Album) Judas Priest – British Steel Circle Jerks – Group Sex Talking Heads – Remain in Light Joy Division – Closer Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden (1st Album) Undertones – Hypnotised Jam – Sound Affects Waits, Tom – Heartattack & Vine UB40 – Signing Off Teardrop Explodes – Kilimanjaro Specials – More Specials Winwood, Steve – Arc of a Diver Pretenders – Pretenders (1st Album) Einstürzende Neubauten – Kollaps Siouxsie & the Banshees – Juju Heaven 17 – Penthouse & Pavement Go-Gos – Beauty & the Beat Motörhead – No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith Soft Cell – Non Stop Erotic Cabaret Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Architecture & Morality Eno, Brian & David Byrne – My Life in the Bush of Ghosts Black Flag – Damaged X – Wild Gift Psychedelic Furs – Talk, Talk, Talk Human League – Dare Gun Club – Fire of Love Bauhaus – Mask Womack, Bobby – Poet Tom Tom Club – Tom Tom Club (1st Album) Rush – Moving Pictures ABBA – Visitors ABC – Lexicon of Love Prince – 1999 Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five – Message, the Costello, Elvis – Imperial Bedroom Cure – Pornography Dexys Midnight Runners – Too Rye Ay Simple Minds – New Gold Dream (81, 82, 83, 84) Madness – Rise & Fall Fagen, Donald – Nightfly Haircut One Hundred – Pelican West Bush, Kate – Dreaming, the Orange Juice – Rip it Up Jackson, Michael – Thriller Birthday Party – Junkyard Venom – Black Metal Springsteen, Bruce – Nebraska Associates – Sulk Iron Maiden – Number of the Beast Duran Duran – Rio Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes (1st Album) McLaren, Malcolm – Duck Rock Def Leppard – Pyromania REM – Murmur The The – Soul Mining Waits, Tom – Swordfishtrombones Blue Nile – A Walk Across the Rooftops Hanoi Rocks – Back to Mystery City Lauper, Cyndi – She’s So Unusual Simon, Paul – Hearts & Bones Echo & the Bunnymen – Porcupine ZZ Top – Eliminator Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) U2 – War Police – Synchronicity Meat Puppets – II Culture Club – Colour by Numbers Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome Run DMC – Run DMC (1984) Sade – Diamond Life Cocteau Twins – Treasure Minor Threat – Out of Step Van Halen – 1984 Prince – Purple Rain Replacements – Let it Be Style Council – Café Bleu Turner, Tina – Private Dancer Echo & the Bunnymen – Ocean Rain Minutemen – Double Nickels on the Dime Cole, Lloyd & the Commotions – Rattlesnakes N’Dour, Youssou – Immigrés Springsteen, Bruce – Born in the USA Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace Ibrahim, Abdullah – Water from an Ancient Well Aha – Hunting High & Low Tears for Fears – Songs from the Big Chair Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen (aka Two Wheels Good) Mekons – Fear & Whiskey Big Black – Atomizer Vega, Suzanne – Suzanne Vega (1st Album) Pogues – Rum, Sodomy & the Lash Bush, Kate – Hounds of Love Smiths – Meat is Murder Waits, Tom – Rain Dogs Jesus & Mary Chain – Psychocandy New Order – Low Life Simply Red – Picture Book Dexys Midnight Runners – Don’t Stand Me Down Scritti Politti – Cupid & Psyche 85 Costello, Elvis – Blood & Chocolate Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force – Planet Rock: The Album Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill Metallica – Master of Puppets The The – Infected Griffith, Nanci – Last of the True Believers Bragg, Billy – Talking with the Taxman About Poetry Talk Talk – Colour of Spring Megadeth – Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet Sonic Youth – Evol Slayer – Reign in Blood Throwing Muses – Throwing Muses (1986) Simon, Paul – Graceland Run DMC – Raising Hell XTC – Skylarking Earle, Steve – Guitar Town Bad Brains – I Against I Baker, Anita – Rapture Smiths – Queen is Dead Gabriel, Peter – So Anthrax – Among the Living Dinosaur Jr – You’re Living All Over Me Parton, Dolly with Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris – Trio Def Leppard – Hysteria
Aaaahhh...here I sit, listening to Einstürzende Neubauten's great album, "Kollaps" which is semi-rhythmic collection of German yelling, banging on garbage cans and recorded sounds from every day objects such as water burbling, feet shuffling and what almost sounds like a broken AM radio.
Such is the story of my life.
My good friends Mike and Karen generously bought me this book several months ago, which was very much appreciated (of course). As close we are, they did not know that they were dooming to actually listening to all 1,001 albums before I died, else I'm sure they would have gotten me a whoopee cushion or something instead. I plan on remaining on good terms with them nonetheless.
Now, I am a big music fan and thought I had pretty much heard everything. Turns out I was wrong. So now I have about 250 CDs on request at the library which, I estimate, should total about two weeks of twenty-four hour a day listening to get through.
The book touches on very few of the "great" albums (hardly anything by The Beatles in here) and instead seems to strive toward find the best of the most representative music from major genres in each time period. The focus is on "rock" but there's plenty of R&B, Hip Hop, Country, Jazz, Worldbeat, etc. So I find my playlist loaded with 80's faves like The Cocteau Twins and Scritt Politti as well as Dexy's Midnight Runners (not only was "Come on Eileen" not their only song, they were apparently quite the big thing back in their day. Who knew?). I'm listening to bands with names like Mercury Rev, Lambchop and Bonnie "Prince" Billy.
It's also got me going back to some old favorites I was reminded of, like Dr. Dre, Sinead O'Conner, and Liz Phair and even suffering through albums I previously hated (Fugees' "The Score" is one of those). I'll probably still hate them, but maybe I missed something.
Finally, I am embarrassed to admit the music I've never heard before: Billie Holiday, Bobby Womack, Bob Marley (besides the same greatest hits collection that about 95% of America owns), George Jones, Little Richard, The Smiths and, of course, Motorhead. How I've listened seriously to music without ever hearing an album by these folks is quite the mystery. So I'm expecting some good stuff there and am confident it will make up for the rest.
I'll admit that I won't listen to all 1,001. I've already heard close to half of them, a quarter or so are of no interest for one reason or another, leaving with me with something like 250 to listen to. And I will.
In all, a good read. Fast, too, despite being 1,001 pages long (and correspondingly heavy).
By the way, if anyone has Ute Lemper's "Punishing Kiss," please let me know.
I haven't finished this yet, I still have about 120 albums left, but this was the most unique musical experience I've ever had. 3 years ago I listened to every album in this book I owned in order (maybe 70 albums) and it took me a month, and I had a lot of fun. Then later I decided to take the plunge and listen to the entire book in chronological order and review each album as I listened to it. I've gained incredible insight into the evolution of music from this, and have found many new bands, albums, and songs that are new favorites. If you have the time and patience and drive to do this, I recommend it with the caution that the book is flawed. There are albums in here that have no place in a best of list like this, and there are way more than a few unforgivable omissions. I could rant about this forever, but the book was still very fun and insightful for me. If you are serious about it, this list is best paired with besteveralbums.com , Rolling Stones' top 500 albums list, and the Pitchfork decade lists. I'll update this when I'm done in about a month or two, but my rating and thoughts will very unlikely change drastically at this point (I've been reading/listening to this book for almost 2 years now).
This book made me check out many CD's from my local library, mostly to stroll back into bands I know and trusted with good music. I've bought an album/week since I first started a paper route. But I've diversified into world and jazz more in the last 20 years, as I'm not too impressed with the US music scene lately. So, I tried some of the more recent bands listed in this book. Sorry to say (IMHO) the equal-respect this book gives to each decade is not worthy of the music quality. I'm sure the 1001 paintings book is similar - i.e. if you like impressionism, then you like those paintings included, and if you don't like modern, then you won't like the modern art listed. So for this book, if you focus on the genre/decade(s) that you like, you will most likely agree with the selections.
I thought the "1001 Movies You Must Watch Before You Die" was a surprisingly varied and informative book. For every "Titanic" was a "Satantango". It was for this reason that I picked up "1001 Albums...".
I was disappointed to see how unadventurous it was. For the most part we're presented with a stale list of standards that do very little to expand musical horizons. When the most "out there" release included is by Einsturzende Neubauten, we have a problem. What I hoped this book would provide was information about some hidden musical gems. If you're even vaguely familiar with popular music history, you probably won't get much out of this book.
Como diz Mia Couto em E Se Obama Fosse Africano?: "só somos modernos se formos americanos". Observando o grafico, este livro é a prova material do imperialismo cultural, da dominaçao anglofona e masculina na musica. M= man, W= woman M/W=bands with men and women O livro vai de 1950 a 2005 e parece que no resto do mundo nao se produzia quase nada em outros idiomas. Talvez o publico-alvo seja anglofono e eu li por acidente. Nao apenas li, mas fiz questao de ouvi-los todos no Spotify e dar nota para cada musica e fazer uma média para dar nota para o album. Uma pessoa fez um compilado de todas as ediçoes até a ultima de 2018, somando 1079 albuns. O Brasil até que foi o pais mais "privilegiado" da América Latina, sendo representado por Tom Jobim, Joao Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, Os Mutantes, Jorge Ben Jor, Elis Regina, Bebel Gilberto e Sepultura. Eu sou arquivista e acho que tinha que ter no minimo uma ficha técnica decente, como os nomes dos integrantes de uma banda, por exemplo. Tive que parar a leitura para pesquisar na bio do Spotify ou na internet informaçoes mais detalhadas. Para meu gosto pessoal, a maioria dos albuns estao na média ou abaixo. So dei 5/5 para uns 10 albuns no maximo. Fiz uma lista no Spotify com 503 musicas que gostei.
There is much for music lovers to be happy about once they get a hold of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Arranged by decade (1950s to present day), the hefty book is full of compulsively readable reviews written by various music critics, all more than willing to back up exactly why they consider these selections essential to your musical life.
Kicking off with Frank Sinatra’s heartbreaking In The Wee Small Hours, 1001 Albums tells us that Sinatra was almost a has-been when he recorded it. But by expressing quiet pain at his break-up with Ava Gardner, he brought something intriguing and unforgettable to a collection of songs already familiar to many and previously covered, but somehow made fresh and scintillating and beautiful.
As I devoured the pages, certain albums seemed to jump out at me, both ones I knew well and ones "new" to me. Purple Rain, the soundtrack to Prince’s ground-breaking film, remains fresh in my mind because I never stopped liking it. But Actually, by the Pet Shop Boys, stuck for some reason and I remembered 1987 and how much I used to like "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" (a hit for them, with the help of music legend Dusty Springfield). I went to our shelves, checked out the album and discovered that The Pet Shop Boys sound as fresh as ever.
For me, as the chapters ascended in order from the 80s to present day, I felt like I was taking a walk through all of the musical moments of my life and yet making new discoveries. If you live music like I do, can’t get enough of your favorites, and are constantly in search of more great listens, you definitely want to grab a copy of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Sinds 2014 lag dit boek op het toilet. Bij elk bezoek las ik een paar albums. Geen literair hoogstandje wel leuk om door 70 jaar pop rock disco jazz triphop indie muziek heen te gaan. Nu nog alles luisteren ....
The title is somewhat extreme . Lord, I don't feel the obligation to listen to them all or to follow any kind of order. That would be too much like work!
Sinatra, Frank – In the Wee Small Hours Presley, Elvis – Elvis Presley (1956) Louvin Brothers – Tragic Songs of Life Prima, Louis – Wildest Domino, Fats – This is Fats Ellington, Duke – At Newport (1956) Sinatra, Frank – Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! Crickets – Chirping… Basie, Count – Atomic Mr Basie Monk, Thelonious – Brilliant Corners Sabú [Martínez] – Palo Congo Davis, Miles – Birth of the Cool Machito – Kenya Little Richard – Here’s… Puente, Tito & His Orchestra – Dance Mania (1958) Holiday, Billie – Lady in Satin Elliott, Jack – Jack Takes the Floor Vaughan, Sarah – At Mister Kelly’s Fitzgerald, Ella – Sings the Gershwin Song Book Charles, Ray – Genius of… (1959) Davis, Miles – Kind of Blue Robbins, Marty – Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs Brubeck, Dave – Time Out Baez, Joan – Joan Baez (1960) Presley, Elvis – Elvis is Back! Makeba, Miriam – Miriam Makeba (1960) Everly Brothers – A Date with the… Smith, Jimmy – Back at the Chicken Shack Muddy Waters – At Newport Evans, Bill – Sunday at the Village Vanguard Charles, Ray - Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music Booker T & the MGs – Green Onions Getz, Stan & Charlie Byrd – Jazz Samba Price, Ray – Night Life Beatles – With the… Dylan, Bob – Freewheelin’… Spector, Phil & Various Artists – A Christmas Gift for You Cooke, Sam – Live at the Harlem Square Mingus, Charles – Black Saint & the Sinner Lady Brown, James – Live at the Apollo (1963) Getz, Stan & João Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night Brel, Jacques – Olympia 64 Burke, Solomon – Rock ‘n’ Soul Springfield, Dusty - A Girl Called Dusty Rolling Stones – Rolling Stones (1st Album) Owens, Buck – I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail Lewis, Jerry Lee – Live at the Star Club, Hamburg Sonics – Here Are the… Dylan, Bob – Bringing it All Back Home Redding, Otis – Otis Blue… Sings Soul Beach Boys – Today! Coltrane, John – A Love Supreme King, B.B. – Live at the Regal Beatles – Rubber Soul Jansch, Bert – Bert Jansch (1st Album) Byrds, Mr Tambourine Man Dylan, Bob – Highway 61 Revisited Who – My Generation Beatles – Revolver Beach Boys – Pet Sounds Neil, Fred – Fred Neil (1st Album) Byrds – Fifth Dimension Dylan, Bob – Blonde on Blonde Monks – Black Monk Time Kinks – Face to Face Mamas & the Papas – If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears Revere, Paul & the Raiders – Midnight Ride Mothers of Invention – Freak Out! Rolling Stones – Aftermath Simon & Garfunkel – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme 13th Floor Elevators – Psychedelic Sounds of the… John Mayall’s Blues Breakers – With Eric Clapton Yardbirds – Yardbirds [aka Roger the Engineer] (1st Album) Simone, Nina – Wild is the Wind Gilberto, Astrud – Beach Samba Nico – Chelsea Girl Beatles – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Country Joe & the Fish – Electric Music for the Mind & Body Buffalo Springfield – Again Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Safe as Milk Moby Grape – Moby Grape (1st Album) Love – Da Capo Beau Brummels – Triangle Monkees – Headquarters Buckley, Tim – Goodbye & Hello Love – Forever Changes Cream – Disraeli Gears Pink Floyd – Piper at the Gates of Dawn Who – Sell Out Velvet Underground - & Nico Sinatra, Frank - Frank Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim Doors – Doors (1st Album) Byrds – Younger than Yesterday Young Rascals – Groovin’ Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow Kinks – Something Else by the… Donovan – Sunshine Superman Haggard, Merle – I’m a Lonesome Fugitive Hendrix, Jimi – Are You Experienced Electric Prunes – I Had too Much to Dream (Last Night) Lynn, Loretta – Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind) Sharma, Shivkumar / Brij Bushan Kabra / Hariprasad Chaurasia – Call of the Valley Velvet Underground – White Light/White Heat Hendrix, Jimi – Axis: Bold as Love Franklin, Aretha – I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet Traffic – Traffic (2nd Album) Incredible String Band – Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter Kinks – Village Green Preservation Society Shankar, Ravi – Sounds of India (1968) Mutantes, os – Mutantes, os (1st Album) Hendrix, Jimi – Electric Ladyland Cohen, Leonard – Songs of… Cash, Johnny – At Folsom Prison Nyro, Laura – Eli & the Thirteenth Confession Franklin, Aretha – Lady Soul Blue Cheer – Vincebus Eruptum Byrds – Notorious Byrd Brothers Big Brother & the Holding Company – Cheap Thrills United States of America – United States of America Dr John – Gris Gris Iron Butterfly – In a Gadda da Vida Pretty Things – S.F. Sorrow Simon & Garfunkel – Bookends Small Faces – Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake Band – Music from Big Pink Beck, Jeff – Truth Veloso, Caetano – Caetano Veloso (1968) Walker, Scott – Scott 2 Zombies – Odessey & Oracle Morrison, Van – Astral Weeks Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo Beatles – Beatles [aka White Album] Mothers of Invention – We’re Only in it for the Money Young, Neil – Everybody Knows This is Nowhere Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bayou Country Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash Blood, Sweat & Tears - Blood, Sweat & Tears (2nd Album) Flying Burrito Brothers – Gilded Palace of Sin Cash, Johnny – At San Quentin Creedence Clearwater Revival – Green River Beatles – Abbey Road Who – Tommy Davis, Miles – In a Silent Way Bee Gees – Odessa Pentangle – Basket of Light Rolling Stones – Let it Bleed Drake, Nick – Five Leaves Left Springfield, Dusty – Dusty in Memphis Presley, Elvis – From Elvis in Memphis Velvet Underground – Velvet Underground (3rd Album) Quicksilver Messenger Service – Happy Trails Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (1st Album) Band – Band (2nd Album) Led Zeppelin – II MC5 – Kick Out the Jams Temptations – Cloud Nine Sly & the Family Stone – Stand! Buckley, Tim – Happy Sad Chicago Transit Authority [Chicago] - Chicago Transit Authority (1969) Fairport Convention – Unhalfbricking Youngbloods – Elephant Mountain Hayes, Isaac – Hot Buttered Soul Grateful Dead – Live/Dead Kinks – Arthur: Or the Decline & Fall of the British Empire King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King Cohen, Leonard – Songs from a Room Fairport Convention – Liege & Lief Walker, Scott – Scott 4 Stooges – Stooges (1st Album) Spence, Alexander ‘Skip’ – Oar Zappa, Frank – Hot Rats Creedence Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory Derek & the Dominos – Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs Davis, Miles – Bitches Brew Spirit – Twelve Dreams of Dr Sardonicus Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1st Album) Doors – Morrison Hotel Carpenters – Close to You Still, Stephen – Stephen Stills (1st Album) Lennon, John – Plastic Ono Band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà vu Black Sabbath – Paranoid Young, Neil – After the Gold Rush Led Zeppelin – III Deep Purple – In Rock Morrison, Van – Moondance Grateful Dead – American Beauty Drake, Nick – Bryter Layter Shankar, Ananda – Ananda Shankar (1970) Who – Live at Leeds(1st Album) Soft Machine – Third Stewart, Rod – Gasoline Alley Harrison, George – All Things Must Pass Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water Stevens, Cat – Tea for the Tillerman Traffic – John Barleycorn Must Die Stooges – Fun House Taylor, James – Sweet Baby James McCartney, Paul – McCartney (1970) Santana – Abraxas Barrett, Syd – Madcap Laughs Jethro Tull – Aqualung Crosby, David – If Only I Could Remember My Name Sly & the Family Stone – There’s a Riot Goin’ On Gaye, Marvin – What’s Going On Yes – Yes Album Bee Gees – Trafalgar Who – Who’s Next King, Carole – Tapestry Hayes, Isaac – Shaft: Music from the Soundtrack Allman Brothers – At Fillmore East Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers Lennon, John – Imagine Beach Boys – Surf’s Up Yes – Fragile Doors – LA Woman Can – Tago Mago John, Elton – Madman Across the Water Parton, Dolly – Coat of Many Colors McLean, Don – American Pie Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tarkus Led Zeppelin – IV [aka Untitled / aka Four Symbols] Gainsbourg, Serge – Histoire de Melody Nelson Stewart, Rod – Every Picture Tells a Story Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Pictures at an Exhibition Cohen, Leonard – Songs of Love & Hate Mitchell, Joni – Blue Funkadelic – Maggot Brain Joplin, Janis – Pearl Kuti, Fela - With Ginger Baker: Live! Faces – A Nod is as Good as a Wink… To a Blind Horse Flamin’ Groovies – Teenage Head Clark, Gene – White Light Prine, John – John Prine (1st Album) Nilsson, Harry – Nilsson Schmilsson T.Rex – Electric Warrior Bowie, David – Hunky Dory Newman, Randy – Sail Away Deep Purple – Machine Head Big Star – # 1 Record Black Sabbath – Vol 4 Steely Dan – Can’t Buy a Thrill Young, Neil – Harvest Mayfield, Curtis – Superfly: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Slade – Slayed? Deep Purple – Made in Japan Yes – Close to the Edge Reed, Lou – Transformer Masekela, Hugh – Home is Where the Music Is Nascimento, Milton & Lo Borges – Clube da Esquina (1972) Rundgren, Todd – Something/Anything Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Will the Circle Be Unbroken? Wonder, Stevie – Talking Book Still, Stephen – Manassas T.Rex – Slider Ackles, David – American Gothic Eagles – Eagles (1st Album) Buckley, Tim – Greetings from LA Drake, Nick – Pink Moon Simon, Paul – Paul Simon (1972) Roxy Music – Roxy Music (1st Album) Alice Cooper – School’s Out Temptations – All Directions Bowie, David – Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars War – World is a Ghetto Green, Al – Let’s Stay Together Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St Lynyrd Skynyrd – Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd Incredible Bongo Band – Bongo Rock Bowie, David – Aladdin Sane King Crimson – Lark’s Tongues in Aspic Marley, Bob & the Wailers – Catch a Fire Hawkwind – Space Ritual Cale, John – Paris 1919 Can – Future Days Reed, Lou – Berlin Genesis – Selling England by the Pound Gaye, Marvin – Let’s Get it On Martyn, John – Solid Air Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure Faust – IV Hancock, Herbie – Head Hunters Mott the Hoople – Mott Oldfield, Mike – Tubular Bells Rundgren, Todd – A Wizard, a True Star John, Elton – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Steely Dan – Countdown to Ecstasy Jennings, Waylon – Honky Tonk Heroes Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon Wonder, Stevie – Innervisions ZZ Top – Tres Hombres McCartney, Paul & Wings – Band on the Run Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Next Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies Iggy & the Stooges – Raw Power Isley Brothers – 3 + 3 New York Dolls – New York Dolls (1st Album) Eno, Brian – Here Come the Warm Jets Bad Company – Bad Company (1st Album) Genesis – Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Otis, Shuggie – Inspiration Information Wonder, Stevie – Fullfillingness’ First Finale Clapton, Eric – 461 Ocean Boulevard Kraftwerk – Autobahn Morrison, Van – It’s Too Late to Stop Now Mitchell, Joni – Court & Spark Queen – II Roxy Music – Country Life Tangerine Dream – Phaedra Sparks – Kimono My House Supertramp – Crime of the Century Thompson, Richard & Linda – I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight Scott-Heron, Gil & Brian Jackson – Winter in America Queen – Sheer Heart Attack 10cc – Sheet Music Young, Neil – On the Beach Jones, George – Grand Tour Clark, Gene – No Other Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic Newman, Randy – Good Old Boys Marley, Bob & the Wailers – Natty Dread Wyatt, Robert – Rock Bottom Parsons, Gram – Grievous Angel Eno, Brian – Another Green World Dictators – Go Girl Crazy! Neu! – ‘75 Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti Jarrett, Keith – Köln Concert Aerosmith – Toys in the Attic Bowie, David – Young Americans Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey Springsteen, Bruce – Born to Run Harris, Emmylou – Pieces of the Sky Dion – Born to Be With You Mitchell, Joni – Hissing of Summer Lawns Waits, Tom – Nighthawks at the Diner Burman, Rahul Dev – Shalimar (Soundtrack) Young, Neil – Tonight’s the Night Dylan, Bob – Blood on the Tracks Smith, Patti – Horses Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here Queen – A Night at the Opera Nelson, Willie – Red Headed Stranger Earth, Wind & Fire – That’s the Way of the World Mayfield, Curtis – There’s No Place Like America Today Petty, Tom & the Heartbreakers - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (1st Album) Modern Lovers – Modern Lovers [Rec 1972, not released until 1976] Bowie, David – Station to Station Mitchell, Joni – Hejira Boston – Boston (1st Album) Eagles – Hotel California ABBA – Arrival Kiss – Destroyer Rush – 2112 Ben, Jorge – África Brasil Armatrading, Joan – Joan Armatrading (1st Album) Aerosmith – Rocks Parliament – Mothership Connection Penguin Café Orchestra – Music from the Penguin Café Jarre, Jean Michel – Oxygene Ramones – Ramones (1st Album) Kuti, Fela – Zombie Tosh, Peter – Legalize It Wonder, Stevie – Songs in the Key of Life Frampton, Peter – Frampton Comes Alive Eno, Brian – Before & After Science Kraftwerk – Trans-Europe Express Joel, Billy – Stranger, the Marley, Bob & the Wailers – Exodus Electric Light Orchestra – Out of the Blue Weather Report – Heavy Weather Muddy Waters – Hard Again Stranglers – Rattus Norvegicus Clash – Clash (1st Album) Bowie, David – Low Steely Dan – Aja Wire – Pink Flag Martyn, John – One World Talking Heads – 77 Fleetwood Mac – Rumours Bowie, David – ‘Heroes’ Wilson, Dennis – Pacific Ocean Blue Suicide – Suicide (1st Album) Iggy Pop – Idiot, the Gabriel, Peter – Peter Gabriel (I) Television – Marquee Moon Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell Costello, Elvis – My Aim is True Iggy Pop – Lust for Life Dury, Ian – New Boots & Panties!! Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the… Pere Ubu – Modern Dance Kraftwerk – Man Machine Blondie – Parallel Lines Regina, Elís – Vento de Maio Pere Ubu – Dub Housing Only Ones – Only Ones (1st Album) Costello, Elvis – This Year’s Model Jam – All Mod Cons Ely, Joe – Honky Tonk Masquerade Adverts – Crossing the Red Sea with the… Big Star – Third (aka Sister Lovers) Residents – Duck Stab/Buster & Glen Public Image Ltd – Public Image Magazine – Real Life Springsteen, Bruce – Darkness on the Edge of Town Funkadelic – One Nation Under a Groove Throbbing Gristle – DOA: Third & Final Report Thin Lizzy – Live & Dangerous Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings & Food Buzzcocks – Another Music in a Different Kitchen Van Halen – Van Halen (1st Album) Colón, Willie & Rubén Blades – Siembra Cars – Cars (1st Album) Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo Dire Straits – Dire Straits (1st Album) Saints – Eternally Yours Gaye, Marvin – Here, My Dear Nelson, Willie – Stardust Chic – C’est Chic X-ray Spex – Germ Free Adolescents Eno, Brian – Ambient 1: Music for Airports Siouxsie & the Banshees – Scream, the AC/DC – Highway to Hell Sister Sledge – We Are Family Crusaders – Street Life Germs – GI B52s – B52s (1st Album) Czukay, Holger – Movies Police – Reggatta de Blanc Fall – Live at the Witch Trials Talking Heads – Fear of Music Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures Chic – Risqué Undertones – Undertones (1st Album) Clash – London Calling Japan – Quiet Life Faithfull, Marianne – Broken English Slits – Cut Costello, Elvis – Armed Forces Young, Neil – Rust Never Sleeps Gang of Four – Entertainment! Cheap Trick – At Budokan Fleetwood Mac – Tusk Pink Floyd – Wall, the Public Image Ltd – Metal Box Jackson, Michael – Off the Wall Damned – Machine Gun Etiquette Numan, Gary – Pleasure Principle Specials – Specials (1st Album) Adam & the Ants – Kings of the Wild Frontier Dexys Midnight Runners – Searching for the Young Soul Rebels AC/DC – Back in Black Cramps – Songs the Lord Taught Us Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables Gabriel, Peter – Peter Gabriel (III) Soft Boys – Underwater Moonlight Cure – Seventeen Seconds Echo & the Bunnymen – Crocodiles Motörhead – Ace of Spades Killing Joke – Killing Joke (1st Album) Judas Priest – British Steel Circle Jerks – Group Sex Talking Heads – Remain in Light Joy Division – Closer Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden (1st Album) Undertones – Hypnotised Jam – Sound Affects Waits, Tom – Heartattack & Vine UB40 – Signing Off Teardrop Explodes – Kilimanjaro Specials – More Specials Winwood, Steve – Arc of a Diver Pretenders – Pretenders (1st Album) Einstürzende Neubauten – Kollaps Siouxsie & the Banshees – Juju Heaven 17 – Penthouse & Pavement Go-Gos – Beauty & the Beat Motörhead – No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith Soft Cell – Non Stop Erotic Cabaret Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Architecture & Morality Eno, Brian & David Byrne – My Life in the Bush of Ghosts Black Flag – Damaged X – Wild Gift Psychedelic Furs – Talk, Talk, Talk Human League – Dare Gun Club – Fire of Love Bauhaus – Mask Womack, Bobby – Poet Tom Tom Club – Tom Tom Club (1st Album) Rush – Moving Pictures ABBA – Visitors ABC – Lexicon of Love Prince – 1999 Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five – Message, the Costello, Elvis – Imperial Bedroom Cure – Pornography Dexys Midnight Runners – Too Rye Ay Simple Minds – New Gold Dream (81, 82, 83, 84) Madness – Rise & Fall Fagen, Donald – Nightfly Haircut One Hundred – Pelican West Bush, Kate – Dreaming, the Orange Juice – Rip it Up Jackson, Michael – Thriller Birthday Party – Junkyard Venom – Black Metal Springsteen, Bruce – Nebraska Associates – Sulk Iron Maiden – Number of the Beast Duran Duran – Rio Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes (1st Album) McLaren, Malcolm – Duck Rock Def Leppard – Pyromania REM – Murmur The The – Soul Mining Waits, Tom – Swordfishtrombones Blue Nile – A Walk Across the Rooftops Hanoi Rocks – Back to Mystery City Lauper, Cyndi – She’s So Unusual Simon, Paul – Hearts & Bones Echo & the Bunnymen – Porcupine ZZ Top – Eliminator Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) U2 – War Police – Synchronicity Meat Puppets – II Culture Club ��� Colour by Numbers Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome Run DMC – Run DMC (1984) Sade – Diamond Life Cocteau Twins – Treasure Minor Threat – Out of Step Van Halen – 1984 Prince – Purple Rain Replacements – Let it Be Style Council – Café Bleu Turner, Tina – Private Dancer Echo & the Bunnymen – Ocean Rain Minutemen – Double Nickels on the Dime Cole, Lloyd & the Commotions – Rattlesnakes N’Dour, Youssou – Immigrés Springsteen, Bruce – Born in the USA Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace Ibrahim, Abdullah – Water from an Ancient Well Aha – Hunting High & Low Tears for Fears – Songs from the Big Chair Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen (aka Two Wheels Good) Mekons – Fear & Whiskey Big Black – Atomizer Vega, Suzanne – Suzanne Vega (1st Album) Pogues – Rum, Sodomy & the Lash Bush, Kate – Hounds of Love Smiths – Meat is Murder Waits, Tom – Rain Dogs Jesus & Mary Chain – Psychocandy New Order – Low Life Simply Red – Picture Book Dexys Midnight Runners – Don’t Stand Me Down Scritti Politti – Cupid & Psyche 85 Costello, Elvis – Blood & Chocolate Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force – Planet Rock: The Album Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill Metallica – Master of Puppets The The – Infected Griffith, Nanci – Last of the True Believers Bragg, Billy – Talking with the Taxman About Poetry Talk Talk – Colour of Spring Megadeth – Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet Sonic Youth – Evol Slayer – Reign in Blood Throwing Muses – Throwing Muses (1986) Simon, Paul – Graceland Run DMC – Raising Hell XTC – Skylarking Earl
Inevitably, a compendium like '1001...' will mean different things to different folk, merely because of combinatorial maths, let alone age, parents', children's and friends' influences, when and if you had your own family, surrounded by boys or girls, which country you lived in, and so on; not to mention eclecticism, audiophilia or simple 'good taste'; or whether you read the NME or Melody Maker, both, none or others. It will have glaring omissions, harrumphed inclusions, substitutions begging, hundreds of unknowns, and, happily, many, many old loves. Just revisiting some of those old loves is several afternoons of sheer pleasure. Life was never better than on these essential nostalgic trips. But there's more, yes there's more.... always more. Opportunities for discovery...
Not a book you will read from cover to cover, it's the covers which ignite the lights in your heart and fire the brain's flood of nostalgia. But it appeals (and repugns) on many levels, not least nostalgia. I'm in the process of recapturing so many lost and missed albums of the '70s, the decade when I grew up musically, and this album of albums enriches this journey in a sedimentary way.
My 2016 version - with contentiously the best LP cover of all time (waiting in the wings), Bowie's Aladdin Sane on the cover, included amongst 9 of his 30 studio albums, the longest tribute in this list - starts with Frank Sinatra's Wee Small Hours and ends with Bowie's Blackstar. And already I'm arguing; BlackStar instead of Diamond Dogs?! Wee Small Hours over Strangers In The Night (for Summer Wind alone!)? Well, at least Songs For Swingin' Lovers is here, if only for the incomparable Under My Skin and the eminently swingin' Nelson Riddle arrangement. Such esoterics are the foibles of us all, when it comes to music, when it comes down to these albums.
But most enjoyably, already I'm in imaginary discussion with hundreds of thousands of others with similar passion for what is the medium without which I simply could not exist.
The first thing I did when I unwrapped this delicious gift this Xmas was check out the inclusion of an armful of personal musts, those I consider quintessential coffee table albums. Firstly, the big 3: Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, obviously; then Genesis, Selling England, and then Yes, Tales. And shock-horror: the last was omitted! This is simply inexplicable; perhaps some earlier version of the compendium included it? And where was Tangerine Dream's Rubycon (over Phaedra)? Todd's Todd (alongside the two rightly included)? Cocteau Twins's Blue Bell Knoll (or Four-Calender Café with Evangeline, Bluebeard and the awesome Pur)? Eagles without Desperado! Who are these people?!
But there were also a host of sighs-of-relief: Rod Stewart's Every Picture, Abbey Road, What's Going On, Joni's Hissing, Supertramp's Crime, Simple Minds with New Gold Dream (81...), ABC's Lexicon, Prefab Sprout's Steve McQueen, Radiohead's OK Computer, Coldplay's Parachutes... And there were a ream of bands/albums which were huge at the time, but soon forgotten: Slade and Sparks, Joan Armatrading, Television, Ian Dury, XTC, Scritti Politti... And if Scritti Politti, why not Black? Where's Andy Williams (there's Frank), or Neil Diamond; Streisand (there's Sade), Bread, Carly Simon, China Crisis? Elbow make it in, but not Ed Sheeran. Goldfrapp are in here for Felt Mountain, but not for the gorgeous Seventh Tree. There's no Grace Jones, no Hall & Oates! What is going on?
Time was, though, my mind was (more) open. Now I've a brain with too much hard-wiring, and the likes of Kanye West and Jay-Z leave me agape, though Outkast make me laugh. I can't get Beyoncé or Taylor Swift, but my friend who had girls does. Though Mariah Carey, now... I can see why Robbie Williams, but no Andy? Neither 21 nor 25 move me, yet although I missed Björk, I'll look her up. I don't like any of Prince's offerings after 1999, the single, but I'm happy that The Avalanches made it, if just for the title release. I agree wholeheartedly with all of Led Zeppelin's inclusions, and agree with the exclusion of The Song Remains The Same. It's a shame the Lighthouse Family didn’t make it for Ocean Drive, nor Thomas Dolby for The Flat Earth. Nor U-Roy, who I enjoy much more than Marley, though I can see why the latter, just as I can Black Sabbath for their historic reference (if not the music).
There were the omissions by artists which I thought could be better represented, aside from Tales (and why not Relayer, just as superb and yet so different to Fragile?). Why not Todd, although the two given are great, yet not quite so great? Iggy Pop's Blah-Blah-Blah instead; Roxy's Avalon; Talk Talk's It's My Life, 10cc's How Dare You, or Original Soundtrack (for Une Nuit as well as I'm Not In Love). Indeed, what makes one album a 50/50 in my book (Rubber Soul is so uneven, even if Nowhere Man and Norwegian Wood outshine Drive My Car and Girl, or Michelle is so worn now I can't listen to it anymore), where another, Abbey Road, is phenomenal? And the one album I've played every year of my life since it was released (though I've played Rubycon at least as often). The self-titled Blood Sweat and Tears was my very first album at the age of 10; I won it in a disco raffle, and swapped it for Abbey Road five minutes later, while Sgt. Pepper was still reverberating around the airwaves, and Abbey Road is the best Beatles album by far, in my book. But probably not yours....
Some personal loves don't even make it: Sting (but, okay, Synchronicity), Barry White (instead of Jack). No Apollo 440 whereas The Chemical Brothers and Orbital; no Neil Diamond, but Randy Newman and Billy Joel?! So much missed out, so many to contend. All of Steely Dan's given, except Aja? Really? Suede's Coming Up or Head Music, but the two given? No Aztec Camera Love! But Haircut One Hundred? Are you really serious?
But how do you get a roomful of fans to agree which of even the best artist's albums should be included. Can you separate the merits of Faith, Older or Listen Without Prejudice, when they are that close, that good? Yet Older does not appear. How many more of Bowie's albums would you include, given the radical differences in styles and genres, yet so many brilliant masterpieces? All of those (9) mentioned might be equally worthy, but not to me. I haven't been able to get into The Next Day or BlackStar at all, and I'd have Space Oddity (or David Bowie, if you like) and Diamond Dogs there instead. Plus Scary Monsters. And probably Black Tie. But I agree that of the Berlin Three, Lodger doesn’t touch Low or 'Heroes'. If I have a middle-of-the-road, it's Michael and Bowie, not the Carpenters nor Bee Gees, though I'm glad they made it in, and although AC/DC's Back In Black sits between Michael Jackson's Thriller and Pink Floyd's DSOTM, and Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell between Whitney Houston's Bodyguard soundtrack and the Eagles' Greatest Hits, in the all-time album sales list on Wiki, they ain't my bag at all.
Yet I'm not a jazz man, either; I'm a prog rock fan. I'm not into the Blues, but Sticky Fingers should be in here for Wild Horses and You Gotta Move alone. I love space rock, but Kraftwerk? Aretha Franklin (yes), but no Gladys Knight? The Temptations and Isleys, but no Four Tops or Supremes. Stevie Wonder, yes, yet no Smokey? Dusty, yes, but not Barbra? Metallica (no) but not Muse (Black Holes)? And there's a flotilla of folk, funk and indie I'll almost certainly not have the time let alone the inclination to explore. House and Garage will not be in my home. (After that, the genres elude me entirely). And I'm relieved that One Direction haven't made it in - yet. But it took a long time before ABBA were critically acclaimed, despite their phenomenal popularity.
Reading the justification - or pride or sheer love and adoration - of the various contributors adds to the discussion, the contention and the fun. Little pieces of background inspire you to put that album on again, or not: Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here, yet not Piper; the Sex Pistols' Bollocks but not The Clash's; even though they are all impassioned reviews prompting me to do so. But despite their individual merits, I really only, in the end, sit back and see, overall, whether my list matches their's, a very simplistic response, but I do the same for the film and book guides. Sure, I tease out a handful of hitherto unknown albums to pick up, like Fleet Foxes, for example; investigate lots I missed, like Fairport Convention and Sandy Denny; or I'm reminded through little asides and references of echoes of long-lost explorations I'd like to revisit, like Nils Lofgren's Cry Tough, and those others around Springsteen's landmark (and misconstrued) Born In The USA.
I have only one formatting issue (and it's not the vinyl over CD argument): for a book 960 pages heavy, I'd rather they had stretched it to 1001 pages and included the track listing for all of the albums. But, like all of the things about this book, it all really comes down to personal taste and opinion...
I could possibly survive without books (I'd write my own); I could live without film, perhaps (I'd imagine my books); I'd not miss email much (I'd write to myself); but I couldn't exist without music - not playing it on a good hi-fi, singing it in the shower, nor dancing to it in the kitchen. Of course, it’s the one medium you can take with you... in memory, in the soul. (Far out!)
(One final technical criticism on format: although the Artist index in the rear is accurate, the Album index at the front hasn't been updated correctly, probably because of the interleaved additional introduction for the revised 2016 edition not having been taken into account, but it renders it unusable).
WOW. If you're struggling to find new music to love, this hefty volume is the perfect way to broaden your musical world. I spent several nights paging through this, from the 1950s to 2021, and looked up every album that intrigued me on Youtube Music. It was wondrous.
There are descriptions of each album; written by contributors who obviously knew that album well. The best part is that most of the albums include a helpful track listing with standout tracks starred, so you can look up the songs and see if you dig them. I did a lot of that. It's a good way to mine for new sounds.
You can kind of see which time periods you dig and which you don't. My favorite musical time periods are the late 1960s and 1970s, plus early-mid 1990s alternative, which was no surprise to me, but still illuminating. I found a lot of bands I've always meant to check out but hadn't gotten around to (like Kraftwerk, Echo and the Bunnymen, Brian Eno, King Crimson, etc) and just favorite artists with albums I hadn't explored yet (like early Siouxsie and the Banshees, Nick Cave, Tricky).
My favorite new-to-me artist is the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, which I would have never found without this tome. I really appreciated the world music inclusions as well.
Highly recommended if you need a jolt of new music in your life. I have the "1001 Songs You Must Hear" requested at the library too. :)
It was never going to be something I agreed with wholeheartedly, and there are a good few classics in there, but there's also a lot of fluff. Far too much late 70s/early 80s new wave type stuff (my guess is it's the author's favourite genre), something like 600 Bowie albums (good or not, it's excessive) and the albums added into the 2000s seem more like random top 100 picks rather than the semi-deep dives from previous decades (not that any of it is wicked underground or anything lol). If they'd kept it to one album per band/artist, included a Type O Negative album (come on!) and made sure not to overdo any one genre, it would have been better. I did discover that I really like disco, though - that was unexpected. And an album by a band called the Auteurs that I'd never heard of but will listen to at LEAST another 2-3 times before I die.
For those who have spent the large part of their teen/adult years searching out the most obscure and underground music to whet their musical palates, this volume offers great suggestions to get acquainted with the "classics." 1001 Albums gave me some great listening recommendations in the areas of jazz and rock, making me step outside my comfort zone and acknowledge that some mainstream releases are certainly worth a listen. Who would've imagined that I'd ever buy (and like) a Byrds cd?!!
A great book for anyone who wants to take a walk through the history of music. It has most of the well known classics, as well as some more lesser known albums.
Most of them with a historical significance.
This site is a great compliment for anyone who has this book. It's giving you one album a day to listen to. From the book. Let's you rate and add comments to each album as well. Great way to actually get to listen to the albums. https://1001albumsgenerator.com
I had great expectations about this book. As a music enthusiast I thought I would indeed find 1001 great albuns listed on this book, but most of them are not a must hear. I was glad to find my favorite bands and artists listed on this book, but they didn't even picked their best albuns! There are also some non-sense reviews about some records, and there are too much Björk albuns for my taste.
I love this book so far. I judge it on the Roxy Music albums they site: Roxy’s first album, “For Your Pleasure”, and “Country Life”. I’m really okay with that. They omitted “Avalon” but okay. I’ve been revisiting my faves and discovering new ones too. I got this from the public library but I need a copy for myself.
Completely basic. You will find Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears in this book but not one word about electronic legends such as Squarepusher or Venetian Snares. No thanks.
For this review I think it is best to first talk about the book and then the list itself. The book and the list a ton of issues and having read the book and listened to all but a few albums that were not available on Spotify it is the only way to do this justice. The Book: The book takes you year by from 1955 - 2005. The introduction explains how the list was created and why they start in 1955, they also explain to you why soundtracks unless by one artist are not on the list. So what did I like about the book? The albums covers and photos are really cool, the sheer volume of music is impressive to a point, more on that when we get to the list. Dislikes: This book is presented in a way that insinuates a journey through music history and the best of that music year by year, this is not the case. There are genres that are way underrepresented while others are very over represented. There is an overabundance of repeat artist, and too many unheard/unknown artist. This list is also very British bias. The biggest complaint is how most of the information is the music journalist own bias or thoughts vs. facts about these albums. So you get nonsense statements like grunge died with Cobain or my favorite (again British bias) Oasis came along and redefined rock n roll. In another section of the book you have a writer on one page when talking about Limp Bizkit say that the Nu-Metal genre hit its peak in early 2000, but then a few pages later they say while talking about Linkin Park Nu-Metal gained serious momentum in 2000. So which is it? Did it peak or gain serious momentum? The book gets a generous 2 out of 5.
The List: 1950's - 23 Albums - 1955-1959 This started out great, when I listened to this I thought okay this list is gonna be good. Lot's of jazz, swing, stuff I never heard before but really liked it. Good coverage of the birth of rock n roll, Elvis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, etc. Very little country or blues.
1960's - 151 Albums - 1960-1969 This is where the list goes to shit and only gets worse from here. Even though there is a huge variety of music it misses the mark on some of the iconic music of the era. No highlight of early guitar instrumentals like Dike Dale, Link Wray, The Ventures, etc. No SoCal surf/car songs like Jan & Dean. The biggest snub is to Motown, one of the most iconic sounds of the decade and nothing. No focus on protest songs or Woodstock either. There are a large number of just terrible albums that I will never listen to ever again. The British invasion is well represented but that is too expected with a list so bias to British music. Also, Folk and Jam Bands are highlighted like Bob Dylan, and The Greatful Dead. Again, very little to no country, blues, jazz, and R&B/Soul.
1970's - 279 Albums - 1970-1979 Here we find the most albums of any decade and what a shit show the 70's list is. Some of the worst albums by far are in this decade, albums so bad I would not want my worst enemy to listen to let alone an album I must hear before I die! The problems just keep repeating themselves with this list. Again, too many repeat artist. Why do I need to listen to every Talking Heads album? Why do I need to hear every Elvis Costello album? I like Elvis Costello but not everyone of his albums is a must hear. Where is the disco? Soft Rock? Country? Blues? I guess the creators don't know those genres exist.
1980's - 210 Albums - 1980-1989 As stated before more of the same issues, too many repeat artist. Do the creators of this list know the 80's were than just synthpop? I grew up in the 80's and never heard of Kate Bush until Strange Things but for some reason they think I need to hear every Kate Bush album, why? She is not that good, and Running Up That Hill is a terrible song. Maybe because she is British. Oh and the Elvis Costello continues into the 80's too. Where is the country? I remember in the 80's country was everywhere but not here, no George Strait, no Randy Travis, no Alabama. Also, no blues, B.B. King anyone? Albert Collins? Buddy Guy? No Huey Lewis, no Bryan Adams, and Hairbands are very under represented. Punk rock is surprisingly very well represented on this list.
1990's - 239 Albums - 1990-1999 Here is where the list almost broke me and made me throw in the towel and say fuck this list, but it didn't I hung in there and pushed on. Same issue as before, too many repeat artist. Why do I need to listen to every Nick Cave album? He not really that great, forgettable at best. I have heard all his albums and could tell you the name of one of the albums or songs. Where is the R&B? Boys 2 Men? Guess they never heard of them. I really thought if there was one genre that would be the highlight of this decade it would be country. Country like took over in the 90's & 2000's but again this list misses the mark on music history. No Garth Brroks, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, nothing. Instead we get way too much electronic dance, house, techo, etc. from mostly unheard of British bands unless you really love that type of music. This decade was really painful to get through.
2000's - 99 Albums - 2000 - 2005 Same issues, too many repeat artist taking up space for more deserving artist. Nice Cave albums are still a huge hit here, again why do I have to hear every single Nick Cave album? Where are the boy bands? As usual little to no R&B, country, etc.
I know it sounds like I don't like British music and that is not true at all. Three of my favorite bands are British, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin. Not to mention The Who and many others. My beef is just because a band in Liverpool had a top 25 song but never really got out of the UK is not a reason to put them on this list. I know music is very subjective and what I like you may hate and what you like I may hate. But I think I listen to enough music to know what is good to most and what is shit. Every single song, band, etc, that I like or love at one time was something new and unheard of and when you make a book titled 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die I expect to be wowed! I expect it all to be good. I expect it to be a discovery of great music to tell my friends and family about. I just spent over 7 months listening to these albums and I will never listen to this again because it was terrible. There are some really great albums on this list but the constant repeat artist, missing the mark of iconic genres, movements, and sounds like Motown just drag this down and like I said at times painful to listen to. This list got so I had to start taking breaks from it one or two days a week just to finish it. The list gets a 1 out of 5 from me. It is by far the worst list I have ever listened to when it comes to music.
Great book! So much fun to look through and see what other great music is out there that I was unaware of. I got this back in the early 2000s when CDs were still a thing and I would pick a decade and buy 4 CDs from that decade. Then I would listen to one CD a week exclusively until I had completely absorbed it into my DNA. Then I would switch the next CD the following week. I did this for an entire year. 52 CDs. It was a totally great experience and I think there were only one or maybe two that I didn't love after spending a week with them. Great experience. Now, of course, there's no need to buy the CDs, you can just stream the music, but it doesn't feel the same. The level of commitment isn't the same.
A "must" for anyone who enjoys music as an art expression. It's a good guide for those who want to discover new albuns or music genres/styles. But there are many great albuns that are not listed. And the reviews are too shallow. Also, there's a lack of non american or british are artists, it's clearly oriented to american and british musicians. And I think there's obviously a whole musical WORLD outside these only two countries, which american critics and the public just don't know. It just shows how ignorant americans are about what happens outside the borders...
Fun listening to albums in context / with the mini-reviews for each album.
Didn't have an opinion on drum'n'bass before this book, but good God.... I never want to hear it again. The late 1990's were a trudge. If I wanted to hear hours upon hours of uhn-tiss-uhn-tiss-boom-boom-tish I would go to a rave. For some reason, it was less fun without LSD.
Glad Chocolate Starfish is included, not sure what I would have done without having heard it in context of development of nu metal. For some reason it still sounded like shit, but I'm sure there are layers to it that I just can't comprehend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Just over 2 years to the day that I started this book, I've now finished - having listened to every one of those 1001 albums, save for the 5-10 that weren't on Spotify.
It's been a really enjoyable experience, and while I thought I was "well-listened", the exercise has identified some gems that were missed along my musical journey, and forced me to re-evaluate my assessments of a number of musicians and/or albums - both for good and bad.
A thoroughly recommended process. I'm looking forward to repeating the process in both the classical and jazz field.
I have heard 158 of the listed albums, a few borrowed, a few at friend's abodes, the majority owned mostly in cd format (having sold most of my vinyl with very few regrets). Probably part heard about 300 others from the list which leaves over 500 I haven't knowingly heard. Vast majority of my 158 is from the 70s and 80s. Are there some I might check out? Yes.
Skim read the albums I instinctively know that are not to my taste but I am glad I bought it and will dip into this again and again.
que viagem musical em 7 meses. 1001 album relevantes (nao necessariamente os melhores ) de 1950 a 2010. o livro esta lido, agora faltam terminarde ouvir um pouco mais de uma decada de musica!! pra quem gosta de historia, musica e gosta de conhecer coisas novas ate do que ja conhece é muito mais que recomendavel. é mandatorio.
Fraquinho demais quando chega em meados dos anos 80/90/2000, deixa muita coisa de fora, sendo uma lista (excelente) de discos pop, mas que não necessariamente seriam essenciais, tem lacunas enormes em termos de punk e metal, apesar de algumas surpresas (cita Throbbing Gristle, por exemplo).
Muito bem organizado e com comentários dos bastidores do rock e bem humorados. Achei a seleção referente aos anos 1970 a mais consistente. Nos últimos anos, não sei se é falta de música boa ou foi cansaço do autor, mas não me parecem os melhores do período (1990-2000).