A lesser work of one of great hard rock bands still easily makes this here list.
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Category: Best 1,000 Albums Ever
The audacious (never before seen in human history?) ranking of the best 1,000 albums ever — each with a deep dive, personal stories, and pop culture tie-ins.
Count Basie – The Atomic Mr. Basie: #934 of best 1,000 albums ever!
When I think about what I want out of lively, jumping jazz from the 1950s, this album answers the call.
Various Artists – Wanna Buy A Bridge? #935 of best 1,000 albums ever!
A stunning collection of post-punk (but mostly leaning into the punk side, and thankfully so) artists out of the UK.
Nerf Herder – American Cheese: #936 of best 1,000 albums ever!
A strong sense of humor and the musical chops to create songs that are both fun and musically compelling.
Arctic Monkeys – Who the F*** Are Arctic Monkeys? #937 of best 1,000 albums ever!
This is a (small!) collection of songs that demanded to make this list by a fun, brash, and talented band at their early best.
Screaming Trees – Sweet Oblivion: #938 of best 1,000 albums ever!
It’s delicate (grunge?), but it all clicks.
Bachelor – Doomin’ Sun: #939 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Because sometimes music can save your life, and sometimes music can save a best 1,000 albums ever list (or both?).
Eddie Cochran – 12 of His Biggest Hits: #940 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Old school rock n’ roll that jumps and swings and pulses and grooves.
9th Prince – Prince of New York: #941 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Wu-Tang Clan and RZA vibes await.
The Dazes – Just Dreamy: #942 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Ebullient spirit imbued with (Ramones-y) punk energy and great pop hooks.
2Pac – All Eyez on Me: #943 of best 1,000 albums ever!
While sprawling and uneven, this double album contains some of Tupac Shakur’s best artistic output.
The Slits – Cut: #944 of best 1,000 albums ever!
It’s out there and it’s freaky and it’s punk and it rocks and it all works marvelously well.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Revelation: #945 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Melancholy yet upbeat, accessible yet deeply indie.
Gore Gore Girls – Get the Gore: #946 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Revved up garage rock with punk attitude. Get it.
Hüsker Dü – Zen Arcade: #947 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Variety and range, from hardcore punk to an acoustic jam that you could almost imagine being on a 1980s-era Midnight Oil record.
The Pink Spiders – Teenage Graffiti: #948 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Fun power pop with a little punk and glam influence thrown in – nothing wrong with that (and much that’s right).
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath: #949 of best 1,000 albums ever!
The definition of heavy metal.
Röyksopp – Melody A.M.: #950 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Blue on blue, heartache on heartache.
Sturgill Simpson – High Top Mountain: #951 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Alt country that pleasantly zooms along with lyrics that are genuinely funny and clever.
Stiff Little Fingers – Inflammable Material: #952 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Old school punk that’s completely pleasing and satisfying to the ear.
Lead Belly – The Tradition Masters: Lead Belly: #953 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Blues and folk music from a true master.
Moon Duo – Mazes: #954 of best 1,000 albums ever!
An unusual musical locale that’s hard to nail down, but well worth the journey.
Various Artists – Ultra-Lounge: On the Rocks (Part One): #955 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Irony and kitsch beget musical admiration beget deep nostalgia.
Dinosaur Jr. – Without A Sound: #956 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Quintessential mid-1990s alternative rock.
Madness – One Step Beyond…: #957 of best 1,000 albums ever!
From ska to punk to new wave to pop, all performed with the extreme exuberance and confidence of youth and with tongues firmly planted in cheeks… I guess you can only describe it as Madness.
Mr. Bungle – Mr. Bungle: #958 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Definitely not for everyone, but this wildly and weirdly experimental rock album has dizzying and genre transmorphing moments that are tremendously exciting.
Etta James – At Last! #959 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Spanning elegant, gorgeous pop, soul, and down and dirty blues.
The Lightning Seeds – Dizzy Heights: #960 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Effervescent Britpop from the mid-‘90s with hooks to match.
Human Switchboard – Who’s Landing in My Hangar? #961 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Early ‘80s new wave-meets-garage rock with fantastic keyboards.
Yerba – Sleepdealer: #962 of best 1,000 albums ever!
YouTube’s lofi girl and Spotify yield lofi hip hop bliss. That’s a bingo!
Benny Benassi – Hypnotica: #963 of best 1,000 albums ever!
If you’ve got an electro house urge, this album brings the satisfaction.
Buena Vista Social Club – Buena Vista Social Club: #964 of best 1,000 albums ever!
An album that makes you think about music as a lifelong lifeline.
Rosalia De Souza – Garota Moderna: #965 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Brazilian and bossa nova roots with a modern upbeat lounge feel.
Various Artists – Ma 6-t Va Crack-er: #966 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Underground French hip hop that reminds me that there’s nothing better than discovering great music.
Descartes A Kant – Paper Dolls: #967 of best 1,000 albums ever!
It’s kind of weird and disturbing and great. Come take the trip.
Black 47 – Home of the Brave: #968 of best 1,000 albums ever!
An unusual but ultimately pleasing combination of traditional Irish music and modern American rock.
Ryan Adams – Love Is Hell: #969 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Adams spans singer songwriter-y pop to chilled out rock to alt country for quite a moody trip.
Sham 69 – Angels With Dirty Faces: #970 of best 1,000 albums ever!
A delirious blast of UK punk.
Thievery Corporation – The Mirror Conspiracy: #640 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Too low to find my way, too high to wonder why.
Aloe Blacc – Good Things: #972 of best 1,000 albums ever!
I defy you to come away from this one without humming “I need a dollar, dollar, dollar that’s what I need…”
Fountains of Wayne – Welcome Interstate Managers: #973 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Serious about its 1970s and 1980s guitar rock sensibilities. Doubly serious about having a gas in the lyrical content department.
Wimps – Garbage People: #974 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Aggressive yet upbeat, fast paced and super fun power poppy punk by way of Seattle, Washington.
Immortal Technique – Revolutionary, Vol. 1: #975 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Smart, blistering underground hip hop with ultra-tight flow.
The Coasters – The Coasters: #976 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Smooth, sexy, doo wop-y, rocking late 1950s vibes that project energy and fun.
KT Tunstall – Eye to the Telescope: #977 of best 1,000 albums ever!
If you’re not yet hip to it, suddenly you shall see that super satisfying sounds abound.
Brainiac – Hissing Prigs in Static Couture: #978 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Uh… this album is crazy. Good crazy, but crazy. Dig it.
Edwin Starr – War & Peace: #979 of best 1,000 albums ever!
“War” first and foremost, but make peace with the fact there’s also a lot of other great songs going down here.
The Gits – Frenching the Bully: #980 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Mia Zapata’s vocals matched with urgent, raucous, punky Seattle grunge energy.
Clutch – Psychic Warfare: #981 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Tight-as-a-drum, chugging, thunderous, and gloriously aggressive metal.
Milt Jackson & Thelonious Monk Quintet – Milt Jackson With John Lewis, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke, Lou Donaldson and the Thelonious Monk Quintet: #982 of best 1,000 albums ever!
Exquisite 1950s-era New York City jazz replete with vibraphone tidings and jazz lounge vibes.