I embarked on a listening project a couple of months ago. 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. 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. 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.
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. I have not read the book or browsed the entire list, 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 100 albums so far, 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)
For this project I’ll be sharing each album of the day and a playlist I created based on that album. I may share some thoughts as well and I encourage readers to join the discussion. 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!
Excellent project. I look forward to following.