1000 Greatest Albums of all Time

 950 The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death (1997) Studio Album (Double) - Hip Hop About the Act: The Notorious B.I.G., otherwise known as Biggie Smalls, or just Biggie, was an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York, whose real name was Chris Wallace. His rapping career ran from 1992 until his death in 1997. He had two studio albums, and two more were released posthumously. Actually, technically, his second album was also released posthumously, as it was released only two weeks after his death. His rapping was well-received critically. Some people reckon he was the best rapper that ever lived. He was definitely successful.  He was implicated in the killing of his ex-friend Tupac Shakur. Biggie was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.  About the Album: This was his second album, a double, and was released two weeks after is death. It sold over 5 million copies in the USA. My History with this Album: None Review: This album confuses me. There are things about it I ...

 951 Alice Cooper - Lace and Whiskey (1977) Studio album - Rock About the Act: So I guess pretty much everybody has heard of Alice Cooper. Did you know, though, that from 1968 to 1975, "Alice Cooper" was not the name used by the singer, who went by his birth name Vincent Furnier, but was the name of the band he was part of. When the band started to fall apart, he legally changed his name in order to avoid legal issues and to retain control of the name. Very brief history then. The band started out as psychedelic rock, got signed by Frank Zappa, and kind of invented the genre of "Shock Rock" with a horror theme. This led to highly theatrical concerts and horror-inspired song themes, which got more and more elaborate. In 1975 Alice took the name, and the concept and kept pushing the shock and controversy aspects. The band had 7 albums, and Alice as a solo artist has had 21 so far. Not all have been horror-themed, for example in 1977 he released "Lace and Whiskey...

 952 Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (2008) Compilation album - Electronic About the Act: Crystal Castles are a Canadian electronic band, who have been active since 2006. They are Ethan Kath (music) and Alice Glass (Lyrics and singing) later replaced by Edith Frances. They also have a drummer, actually have had several different drummers. They are a kind of noise/dance outfit, with some of the sounds being created by an Atari 5200 console which has been "circuit bended" - having non-standard connections made.  Wikipedia describes them as "Electropunk, electroclash, synth-pop, witch house, Nintendocore". About the Album: This first album by Crystal Castles is a collection of singles they released, with three original recordings added. At this point they were just Ethan Kath and Alice Glass. My History with this Album: None Review: Well it's a bit of a relief to get out of Country country, To me, this sounds like "chiptune" music inspired by the 8-bit ...

 953 Merle Haggard - Down Every Road (1996) Compilation Album - Country About the Act: In 1959, Johnny Cash played a concert at San Quentin Jail. One of the inmates, in for an attempted robbery, was inspired to join a Country band in the prison. After he was paroled, he managed to leave behind his troubled past and start to make a career in music. That inmate was Merle Haggard. It took him a while to get going, but in 1965 he released his first studio album. In 2016 he died, having released 64 studio albums in total.  You may have heard of him, he was one of the key figures in Country from the 60s onward. He has had some controversy surrounding a few of his songs. In the 60s he released "Okie From Muskogee " and "The Fighting  Side of Me", both of which were counter-counter-cultural, in other words in opposition to the Hippie movement. He captured the mood of much of middle America at the time, espousing conservative values, with sympathy for Vietnam vets. On the ot...

 954 Paul Kantner with Jefferson Starship - Blows Against the Empire (1970) Studio Album - Psychedelic Rock About the Act: In 1985 the band Starship released the single "We Built This City". 31 years later, GQ magazine declared it to be "the most detested song in human history". This was, of course, before Baby Shark appeared. Starship, had quite a high turnover of members, but they formed in 1984, kind of from the ashes of the band Jefferson Starship. They have had four studio albums, and significantly retained the main singer from Jefferson Starship, Grace Slick, for the first two of those albums. It was she who sang "We Built This City".  She was also the main singer for the previous band, Jefferson Starship. Winding backwards, Jefferson Starship were formed in 1974, and existed for 11 year, releasing 7 studio albums in that time. Confusingly, they reformed in 1992, and so there are currently two bands, one called "Starship" and one called ...

 955 The National - Trouble Will Find Me (2013) Studio album - Alternative Rock About the Act: The National were formed in 1999 in Brooklyn, New York, although all the members are from Cincinnati Ohio. The band comprises 5 guys, four of whom are two sets of brothers, and the fifth (Matt Berninger) is the singer, front-man and lyricist. They have released 8 studio albums and have been compared to Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. Critics like them. About the Album: This is the 6th album by the band. It sold really well and critics liked it. My History with this Album: None Review: I listened it through but my attention kind of slid off it. I'm trying again. The predominant adjective that comes to mind is "dreary". For some reason, dreary music seems to do well with critics and the public, maybe because people like something to listen to when they feel down. Matt's voice is naturally dreary, so I couldn't imagine him trying to sing something happy, I think it would fall ...

 956 Country Joe and the Fish - Electric Music for Mind and Body (1967) Studio Album - Psychedelic Rock/Hippie About the Act: Country Joe and the Fish were a Hippie Rock band from Berkeley, California, who existed from 1965 to 1970, and sporadically since. The name comes from the founding members, Country Joe MacDonald and Barry "The Fish" Melton. Their sound was a kind of blend of blues, folk and psychedelia, centred around electric guitar lines and distorted organ (which often sounds like an early synth as a result). Their subject matter is the Hippie counterculture - anti-war, free love, and recreational drug use. They were quite central to the Hippie scene and performed at Woodstock. About the Album: This was the first full studio album release by the band. The timing is important, and the location. It was recorded in Berkeley, which is just a stone's throw from San Francisco, and it was released in May 1967, just at the start of the famous "Summer of Love"....

 957 Funkadelic - Maggot Brain (1971) Studio Album - Psychedelic Rock About the Act: Funkadelic were an American Funk/Psychedelic Rock band fronted by George Clinton, and strongly related to his other band Parliament. They existed from 1968 to 1982, and were involved in the development of the Funk sound which had been pioneered by James Brown a few years earlier.  The histories of Funkadelic and Parliament are somewhat entwined, but Funkadelic, at least initially, had a harder Rock sound, quite psychedelic, and influenced by Jimi Hendrix and Sly and the Family Stone.  They released 13 studio albums and a further 3 have been released after their dissolution. About the Album: This was the third studio album by Funkadelic, and the last before a major shift in personnel, also before a shift towards more actual Funk. My History with this Album: I have had a copy for a while, but didn't remember it at all well, I think I possibly only listened to it once previously. Review: If ...

 958 Throwing Muses - The Real Ramona (1991) Studio Album - Alternative Rock About the Act: Throwing Muses are an American Alt Rock band from Rhode Island. They were formed by Kirsten Hersh and Tanya Donnelly who later was in Breeder and Belly. They were formed in 1981, had a break between 1997 and 2003 and are back in action. They have had 10 studio albums. They are known for their unusual songs and lyrics. About the Album: "The Real Ramona" was the fourth studio album by the band.  My History with this Album: None Review: The early 90s were a great breeding ground for this sort of thing, somehow. While the UK was germinating Britpop, the US had a whole slew of bands who were experimenting with being mildly unusual. In 1991 this was a little ahead of that curve, but not a lot. This is far from a homogeneous album there are a lot of different sounds and feels going on. Given they are quite a small band (guitar/guitar/bass/drums + two vocals), and that they presumably...

 959 Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (1995) Studio Album - Hip Hip About the Act: Raekwon is an American rapper from New York. He is a member of the Wu-Tang Clan which even I have heard of. In 1995 he released his first solo album ("Only Built 4 Cuban Linx") and has released several more since. He has been credited as a pioneer of "Mafioso Rap" which draws parallels between street crime, particularly organised and gang-related, to mafia-controlled organised crime and/or Latin America organised crime and drug cartels. About the Album: This is a well-regarded and hugely influential rap album. Apparently. My History with this Album: None Review: Finally, the rap album I have been waiting for. Kendrick Lamar and OutKast didn't do the job, because I ended up kinda liking them. This is another story, this panders to my prejudices about rap. I dislike it quite strongly. To be fair, it was not made for me, it was made for tough people, who are prepared for the "m...

 960 The Kinks - The Kink Kontroversy (1965) Studio Album - Pop Rock About the Act: The Kinks were an English Rock band from 1964-1996 and reformed in 2018. The main songwriter and front-man of the band is Ray Davies, along with his brother Dave, have been the backbone of the band.   In the early days they started out as hard rock, breaking into success with You really got me. They pioneered a gritty guitar sound which has been emulated in many ways by many bands since. A couple of years later, they moved away from the rocky, American sound. This somewhat coincided with a band from performing in America. This move was towards a more English sound, which incorporated elements of Folk and Music Hall, and featured witty observational songs of working class life. This approach lasted for several years and albums. In the early 70s they took another twist into a more theatrical sound for a few albums, at which point their popularity waned. Towards the end of the 70s they s...

 961 D’Angelo - Voodoo (2000)  Studio Album - Neo Soul About the Act: D'Angelo is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is primarily associated with the musical genre "Neo Soul" which (simplistically) is an attempt to divorce Soul and R&B from the commercial pop state it has evolved into, by delving back in time to early Soul and R&B and to fork it off in a new direction, one primarily affected by Funk, Fusion and Afrobeat. His career spans from 1991 until now, in which time he has created three studio albums, and spent a lot of time wandering in various wildernesses, particularly those associated with substance abuse. About the Album: This was D'Angelo's second studio album. It took a long time to record. It had quite a few musicians involved, and significant input from the collective the Soulqaurians. It received several awards and lots of accolades, and is widely regarded to be a masterpiece. My History with this Album: ...

 962 Madonna - Like A Virgin (1984) Studio album - Pop About the Act: Madonna is the most successful solo female artist ever. She whiffled around in bands for a while before emerging as a pop singer in the early 80s. She had a couple of hits in America (where she is from) before "Holiday" which was a hit world-wide. She is still active. Over the many years of her career she has gone through constant re-invention of her image. She is particularly known for being somewhat controversial, particularly with her songs about sex, but also touching on relationships and religion. She is also known for having a high level of control in her own career and direction, she writes many of her own songs. She is also involved in film, as an actor and director, and in business ventures. About the Album: This was Madonna's second studio album, and really, her breakthrough to mega-stardom. It was produced by Nile Rodgers of Chic. It is one of the best selling albums of all time, selling over...

 963 Billie Holiday - Lady In Satin (1958) Studio album - Vocal Jazz About the Act: Billie Holiday was an American Jazz singer who had a turbulent early life, and started her career in nightclubs in Harlem. She had a rock and roll life before it became popular, including a period in jail for drug possession. She had a very distinctive and expressive voice with a strong warble that somehow combines gravel and silk. She had a long-term rivalry with Ella Fitzgerald. About the Album: This was her last but one album, and the last to be released before her death. It was recorded with bandleader Ray Ellis. My History with this Album: None. Review: Musically, this is croony songs with an almost orchestral band setting - lots of washy strings and brass - the sort of thing where you can imagine a conductor. In my youth I used to despise this kind of music, lumping together Frank Sinatra and others of his ilk as all the same.  It wasn't until I grew older that I became more dis...

 964 Steve Earle - Guitar Town (1986) Studio album - Country About the Act: Steve Earl started his musical career way back in the late 60s, but spent a while as a songwriter in Nashville.  His first album release was Guitar Town in 1986, he has had 15 studio albums, has written songs recorded by luminaries of the Country scene, has three Grammies, worked as an actor, written a play, a novel and a book of short stories. I guess he's been pretty successful. About the Album: This was Steve Earl's first studio album. It was well-received, and some people have ranked it as one of the best country albums. My History with this Album: None, nope, nada, nothing. Review: So, traditionally I have said that there are two music genres that I'm not very interested in, Rap and Country. Now I have been known to enjoy some exceptions in both genres, but I'm by no means a connoisseur.  To my untutored ears, this sounds like typical country. Simple music, mostly in major keys, nasal si...

 965 Elvis Costello And The Attractions - Blood And Chocolate (1986) Studio Album - New Wave About the Act: Elvis Costello is a British singer/songwriter who started in 1970 and is still going. He came to popularity in the late 70s and at that time was considered to be a "New Wave" act, however it's probably more reasonable in retrospect to think of him as a medium rock singer/songwriter.  He had a sometimes consistent band, The Attractions, and some of his albums are credited to "Elvis Costello and the Attractions". Some albums used the band, but were just credited to Elvis himself, and on some albums he used different musicians. His first studio album was released in 1977 and he has had 25 since. He has had a lot of commercial and critical success, especially for his earlier albums, and he is widely respected for his songwriting ability. About the Album: This was Elvis's 11th studio album. It was a difficult album as his relationship with the band was prob...

 966 Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968) Studio album - Rock About the Act: Iron Butterfly were and are and American Rock band from California.They started in 1966 and stopped for the first time in 1971. They have been more on than off since then, but I don't think it has been plain sailing. Wikipedia lists 71 people who have been at some time a member of the band. Despite this long and varied life they have only had 6 studio albums, the latest being in 1975. About the Album: This album was a monster. At the time it became the best selling album in the US ever, ultimately selling over 30 million copies. My History with this Album: I have heard it a few times before, mostly in the last 10 years. Review: Side 1 is reasonably good, a few Doors-like songs, in a burgeoning Heavy Rock style that turned out to be part of the foundations of heavy metal. Side 2 was one long track, the title track "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida". So the name sounds like gibberish. Apparently it is a dr...

 967 Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes (1972) Studio album - Glam Rock About the Act: Mott the Hoople were and English Glam Rock/Hard Rock band. They existed from 1969 to 1980 and have had some brief reunions since 2000. After three years of mediocre performance, they nearly split up, but David Bowie heard about the possibility, and being a fan, stepped in, giving them the song "All the Young Dudes" and produced the album of the same name. This song and album brought them huge success. About the Album: This was the album that saved Mott The Hoople's career and was produced by David the Bowie. My History with this Album: None, although I have listened to the song "All The Young Dudes" at least three times a year since it came out. Review: There's some good songs, there's some mediocre songs. Mostly it's about some fairly infectious music, and lyrically not particularly deep, although there are some better moments, like the last song, for that.  ...

 968 The Kinks - Give The People What They Want (1981) Studio Album - Rock About the Act: The Kinks were an English Rock band from 1964-1996 and reformed in 2018. The main songwriter and front man of the band is Ray Davies, along with his brother Dave, have been the backbone of the band.   In the early days they started out as hard rock, breaking into success with You really got me. They pioneered a gritty guitar sound which has been emulated in many ways by many bands since. A couple of years later, they moved away from the rocky, American sound. This somewhat coincided with a band from performing in America. This move was towards a more English sound, which incorporated elements of Folk and Music Hall, and featured witty observational songs of working class life. This approach lasted for several years and albums. In the early 70s they took another twist into a more theatrical sound for a few albums, at which point their popularity waned. Towards the end of the 70s ...

 969 Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid M.A.A.D City (2012) Studio album - Hip-Hop About the Act: Kendrick Lamar is a rapper from Compton, California. Hos work has been critically and commercially well-received. After a self-made digital release, he has had four studio albums. About the Album: This was Kendrick's second studio album, the first on a major label. It sold really, really well, and critics loved it. My History with this Album: I have had a long and confusing relationship with this album, starting last night when I heard it for the first time. Review: As I started to listen to this album last night, I was reading something else, and wasn't really concentrating. I was feeling like it fitted my preconceptions, in that there was a lot of swearing, derogatory words for women, talk of violence and drugs and I'd like to say innuendo, but more like single entendres. The music was very minimal backing and simple beats, with quite complex rapping going on. I was all set to give th...