Project 1001 Albums

A New Project: 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

I embarked on a listening project in 2024. The project is to listen to one album every day from the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die which is a musical reference book first published in 2005 and has subsequently undergone several updated versions. The book compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music critics to be the most important, influential, and best in popular music between the 1950s and the 2010s.

Music has been a big part of my life. I think music is a significant part of everybody’s lives to varying degrees. I listen to music a lot. I think about music a lot. I like to think that I have wide-ranging taste in music. If I have to pick a favorite genre it would be metal, but I like it all.

Metal wasn’t always my favorite. The first album I bought (at the age of 10) was Barry Manilow Live.

Around the same time, I fell in love with R&B, most especially Earth, Wind & Fire and The Commodores.

Then in ninth grade I was introduced to albums like Moving Pictures by Rush and Back in Black by AC/DC, and I became a big fan of rock. When I first heard Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast and Judas Priest’s Screaming for Vengeance I was hooked on metal and Iron Maiden became my favorite band with the release of Piece of Mind.

But I’ve remained a fan of pretty much all kinds of music. And yes, that includes Country, Rap/Hip-Hop, Classical and most anything else.

One thing you won’t find here is me saying something sucks or it’s terrible. If something doesn’t appeal to me, I’ll generally say it isn’t my cup of tea. But I won’t say it sucks because I don’t like it. Why? Because somebody out there likes it (maybe even lots of somebodies!) and all art is subjective. Lou Reed sang, “And just remember, different people have peculiar tastes”.

Approaching this project with an open mind provides for maximum enjoyment. Avoiding prejudgment allows me to take in each album for what it is and listen absent preconceived notions. I can listen without prejudice. I think this opens one up for a more enjoyable listening experience.

Is this the definitive list for every person? Heck no. Your mileage may and probably will vary. And lots of great records have been released since publication of the book. I did not read the book or brows the entire list before embarking on this journey, but I guarantee there are albums I find essential that don’t appear on this list. And there are albums I do not find essential that populate the list. (Hail To the Thief by Radiohead, for example.) But it is a good reference aid to expand one’s musical horizons. Since starting I’ve listened to over 300 albums, many of which I had never listened to: some unfamiliar to me before now. Some of those I’ve ended up enjoying very much and will listen to again many times. (Jazz Samba by Stan Getz) This project has also opened the door to other albums by the artists and other artists similar to or influential to those artists. My musical world has expanded exponentially, and I hope yours will too!

For this project I’ll be sharing each album of the day and a playlist I created based on that album. I usually share some thoughts and interpretation, and I encourage readers to join the discussion and share these posts with any family or friends who love music. I hope readers will enjoy the project as much as I have. If you want to follow along on my musical appreciation journey, please subscribe. Cheers!

I rate each album with a graphic. I think this is more fun than just a regular old star or number rating. Here’s the key:

The proverbial Desert Island album. Highest rating I give. I’d be very sad if I could never listen to these albums again.

Core Collection. Second-highest rating. I consider any record rated as such to be an important, foundational milestone in my music appreciation and probably own it.

Essential Listening. Third-highest rating. These are records I think are truly outstanding yet fall just short of foundational for me.

If an album gets one, two, or three Arethas, that means I R-E-S-P-E-C-T it but it’s not necessarily on my greatest hits list. The more Arethas, the more I like it.

Perfectly Pleasant. The albums in this category are ok. But I don’t feel especially moved by them or excited by them and I don’t think they are terrible.

Meh. I found the record to be dull or uninteresting and I probably won’t remember it tomorrow.

Not my cup of tea. Records rated thusly I just don’t relate to. It could be the music itself, or I think the execution is lacking. I can’t rate something as poorly made or bad music. Somebody out there loves it! It just isn’t for me, and I will never say someone is wrong for loving it.

An album in this category is something that is widely admired or beloved and I just don’t understand why. Somebody might say to me, “Well, you just don’t get it!” And my reply is, “Right! I don’t get it.” Just because you love it and I don’t, please don’t try berating me into changing my mind. Thank you! lol