At the start of 2023, while browsing the New Years Day sales at Whitcoulls , I stumbled upon an awesome coffee table book: Rolling Stone’s Greatest 500 Albums of All Time. An idea struck popped into my head like a perfect melody – why not turn this into a challenge? Being a bit of a data geek, I found the complete list on their website and crafted a little bot that meticulously crawled through the entire site, compiling all the data into a massive spreadsheet.

With the spreadsheet in hand, it was time to lay down the ground rules for my year-long musical expedition. First and foremost, I committed to listening to each of the 500 albums in their entirety, from the opening track to the last, ensuring I fully experienced the artists’ storytelling and musical craftsmanship. There would be no skipping tracks, no matter how challenging or unfamiliar the music. Each album deserved my full attention, to be listened to ideally in one sitting. This rule got a bit relaxed with the lengthier albums – shout out to the nearly-five-hour session of James Brown’s “Star Time” (#54)! The music couldn’t just background noise; it had to be a proper listen, whether I was relaxing at home, commuting, or mowing the lawns. This journey was about more than just listening; it was a deep, respectful dive into the heart of music.

Driven by a desire to expand my musical knowledge to close the gap on my wife’s extensive knowledge. This journey wasn’t just about ticking off a list; it was a deep dive into the world of music, challenging myself to understand and appreciate the craftsmanship behind each album. While listening to an album I would often find myself down a Wikipedia Wormhole reading about the album & artist and learning things like J Dilla’s “Donuts” (#386) was published three days before he passed away.

I believed that an album is more than a mere collection of singles; it’s a narrative, a journey from the first track to the last, and I was eager to experience these stories in their entirety.

My Top Album

Fleetwood Mac – Rumours

Sitting proudly at number 7 in Rolling Stone’s esteemed list, “Rumours” by Fleetwood Mac was the singular album in my journey that earned a flawless 10/10 score from me. This wasn’t just an album; it was a musical revelation. Each track in “Rumours” was a journey! It was during a sunny afternoon bike ride along the Hutt River, while navigating between council meetings, that I fully appreciated the magic of this album.

My Next Top Six

There was only one 10/10 I gave out on the journey, but the next six, all got 9.5/10 – so were right in contention!

The Beatles – Abbey Road (#5) A great Beatles album! Polished, refined, and showcasing the band at the height of their game. This album was a polished journey through the minds of some of the greatest musicians of our time.

Michael Jackson – Thriller (#12) What an absolute banger! This album was everything I wanted and more. I had been looking forward to it all year (already owned the vinyl) and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a testament to why Michael Jackson is a legend.

Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV (#58) A morning coffee companion at Miss Fortune’s, this album was an epic experience. ‘Stairway to Heaven’ stood out as a gem in this masterpiece, marking a memorable moment in my musical exploration.

Queen – A Night at the Opera (#128) Queen’s brilliance shines through in this album. At the time I wrote, “If this is the calibre of albums we’re at now then I’m excited for the how good the top 100 gets!” The diversity and mastery in this album set a high bar for what was to come in my journey.

Cat Stevens – Tea for the Tillerman (#205) This one nearly hit the perfect score. “A perfect 10? could it be??” I thought. I really enjoyed this album; it was perfect for a Sunday morning drive to the Wairarapa.

My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade (#361) This album is an absolute treasure for me. “So bloody good!!” I wrote. Thrashed it back in my teens and it still holds up. It’s like revisiting an old friend where every lyric takes me back in time. Probably wouldn’t sit in most peoples “top 7 albums of all time” – but this is my list!

Other Notable Mentions

After that, I gave a bunch of albums a 9/10. These albums were:

8. Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life (#4)
9. Nirvana – Nevermind (#6)
10. The Beatles – Revolver (#11)
11. The Clash – London Calling (#16)
12. D’Angelo – Voodoo (#28)
13. The Beatles – White Album (#29)
14. AC/DC – Back in Black (#84)
15. Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction (#62)
16. Radiohead – OK Computer (#42)
17. Pink Floyd – The Wall (#129)
18. The Strokes – Is This It (#114)
19. OutKast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (#290)
20. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories (#295)
21. Radiohead – The Bends (#276)
22. Radiohead – In Rainbows (#387)
23. Tame Impala – Currents (#382)
24. Brian Wilson – Smile (#399)
25. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver (#433)
26. Belle and Sebastian – If You’re Feeling Sinister (#481)
27. Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon: The End of the Day (#459)
28. The White Stripes – Elephant (#449)
29. Tom Waits – Rain Dogs (#357)
30. Eminem – The Slim Shady LP (#352)
31. Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms (#418)
32. OutKast – Stankonia (#64)

The “Challenging” Listens

MC5 – Kick Out the Jams (#349) “A rough listen with Emma, not impressed haha.” This album certainly tested my limits and didn’t quite hit the mark.

Black Flag – Damaged (#487) This one had me seriously questioning my undertaking: “Another album that has me questioning whether I have put too big a task ahead of me.”

Suicide – Suicide (#498) “Unique and challenging” is how I’d describe it. A distinct experience, but not one that I particularly enjoyed.

Ornette Coleman – The Shape of Jazz to Come (#417) Left me pondering with, “This album had me wondering whether I have put too big a task ahead of me.”

Primal Scream – Screamadelica (#437) Started off not too bad, but by the end it was doing my head in! Blased the previous album around the house as Emma was singing along, this album though was quickly turned off!

Data Nerd

I can’t have a great spreadsheet and all this data without doing some funky graphs with it. So, here are a few visualisations that chart my musical journey over the year:

Albums Listened Per Day: This graph offers a fascinating look at my daily listening habits. You’ll see how some days were packed with new albums, while others had less. It’s a real-time reflection of how music fit into my daily life.

Album Scores in Order This visualisation shows the scores I gave each album, plotted in the order I listened to them. It’s interesting to see how the scores generally improve as the journey progresses, highlighting how my ranking of albums improved as we moved down the list.

My Score Distribution This graph shows the number of scores I gave out over the journey. Clearly a score of “8” was most common, with most of the albums landing between 6 and 8.5!

Progress Timeline My favourite graph! This one is a timeline showing my progress throughout the year. You’ll notice a significant gap around May, where I sort of forgot about this journey. But come mid-July, after building this graph, I realised I had fallen behind the optimal line to finish before the end of the year. This was a wake-up call, and from there, I dug in deep, ramping up my listening sessions, which is visible in the steep climb of the graph. The journey concluded on December 9th with the final album, number 1, Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”.

Closing Thoughts

As I reflect on this year-long journey through soundscapes and eras, I realise it was more than just an exploration of music; it was a journey of self-discovery, patience, and deep appreciation for the art of music. Every album brought a new perspective, a different emotion, and a fresh appreciation for the diverse tapestry of sounds that have shaped our world. I hope my journey inspires others to embark on their own musical adventures, to discover not just the music of the world but also the music within themselves.

For those inspired to take on this challenge, I’ve made my spreadsheet available here. Feel free to use it as a guide, a starting point, or even just a source of musical inspiration. Whether you follow it to the letter or use it to chart your own course, I hope it brings you as much joy and discovery as it has brought me.

Happy listening!