Getting the Nick Cave album that he may, or may not, have written about PJ Harvey, following a PJ Harvey album makes me go hmmmmmmm. I mean not really, but still interesting to me!
Like most of you, I expect, there are a few artists on the list that I think:
"Meh, not for me, but I appreciate hearing something new, and if it's one of the critic's favourite records, fair enough".
What really sticks out to me are the artists who fall into that category and have more than one album on the list. Today, I've been handed my second TV On The Radio record. I didn't really jive with the first one and, while I think this one is a little better, I just can't see the justification for having more than one of their albums on a list like this. If I like one, I'll probably check out their other work, so it just seems redundant when there are other, far more influential and varied artists, who only get a single entry.
Coincidentally, I had The Downward Spiral yesterday, Nine Inch Nails' only album on the list. It seems very strange to me to have one NIN album and two from TV On The Radio.
Not much surprises for me, what I observe is that I tend to rate albums I am very familiar with easy with 4 and 5s, genres and styles which are not for me are usually getting 1 and 2 with exception of OutKast as I would not predict upfront that I would give 3 to a hiphop album. Most albums that are new to me and I think are ok get most often a 3. In general I really like the project but sometimes it is torturing me (like today’s Beyonce album)
https://1001albumsgenerator.com/shares/6a2c73dcffc5620a27b7b58b
I get there may be way too many of Costello's albums, but I loved this first one I got! How's been your experience so far?
PS I think many more random, boring British bands shouldn't have made the list
Not long finished Chrissie Hynde’s autobiography. Good stuff. Decent recent albums too; both solo and as Pretenders. “(Un)Related” is a quiz that challenges you to find a link between my 1001 AotD and a bonus record (or records) that seem unrelated. Today what links The Pretenders to The Kinks and Simple Minds? I’ll pop a spoiler-hidden answer in the comments later (though I think someone will beat me to it).
Ran into these twin reviews and thought it'd be fun to share and ask if you can guess the album.
My feelings is that the project could tolerate a few more albums that match this description!
The Amazon page for the 2026 edition shows pages for six of the (hopefully) several new albums coming in this year's edition of the book! They are:
Brat - Charli xcx (2024)
Songs of a Lost World - The Cure (2024)
All Born Screaming - St. Vincent (2024)
For That Beautiful Feeling - The Chemical Brothers (2023)
Hackney Diamonds - The Rolling Stones (2023)
Blue Rev - Alvvays (2022)
My take: Overall, I think this is a mixed bag of picks. Three of these are on the current user list (Brat, Lost World, All Born Screaming), so I think they're generally pretty good choices. On the other hand... a 7th Rolling Stones album and a 3rd Chemical Brothers album? Really?
Rather than picking favorites from this decade so far, I wish Dimery would revise his early 2000s and 2010s choices. I feel like we now have a much better perspective of the albums that have held up since that decade, and the ones that have not, and that could make the list significantly better.
Is there a consensus on the best ever soundtrack album? I think compilations are excluded from the 1001 so I guess there aren’t too many included. This one is certainly up there for me anyway. “(Un)Related” is a quiz that challenges you to find a link between my 1001 AotD and a bonus record (or records) that seem unrelated. Today what links the 3 in my bonus pic (Ween, Ozzy, Elton) to Isaac? I’ll pop a spoiler-hidden answer in the comments later.
Today marks my two year anniversary. Unless a huge number of albums are added in the upcoming 2026 edition of the book series, I should finish at around 1,100 albums.
This journey has been so much fun. There are so many new songs I've discovered, and love, and I now have some interesting artists I check out.
I haven't skipped a day, have gone seven days a week, and listen to every second of every track on each album.
Cheers to another year of highs, and lows!
Odelay is one of the most fun and diverse albums of the 90s and Beck managed to continue to get better and better beyond it too. “(Un)Related” is a quiz that challenges you to find a link between my 1001 AotD and a bonus record (or records) that seem unrelated. Today what links Beck to Van Morrison and Them?