New Project: The Some Number of Albums Listening Project (SNoALP)
I am starting a new project of sorts–taking the idea from Kendra Adachi (the Lazy Genius) and adapting it. Kendra is purposing to listen to 300 complete albums in a year–half that are known to her and half that are new to her. I don’t think of myself as a person who knows music, but I see no reason why I couldn’t be.
My first thought was that I would start with 100 albums, but then I realized that, as with all projects, a specific number quickly becomes my undoing. So I’m going to listen to some number of albums, which will be as many as I listen to for as long as it remains fun. That may be seven albums and I’ll feel done or it could be two a day for the next two years.
Unsurprisingly, in the early days I have been going pretty hard, and I’ve already listened to five. I’m learning a lot, both musically and about my tastes. It’s been so much fun.
- What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye (R&B/Soul * 1971)
March 4, 2026 | Mostly new to me as an album | Protest music that makes sense to me. Loose, wavy, smooth, musing/wandering. The world is not okay. It’s like he’s asking, “You see this too, right?” I feel this deeply.
Musically it feels very of a time and reminds me of tv shows and movies that I saw as a kid. The ones that came to mind for whatever reason: Three’s Company, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Sesame Street. Also, the flute made me think of Jethro Tull. Songs I already recognized: “What’s Going On” and “Mercy Mercy Me”; favorites from this listen: “What’s Happening Brother” and “Save the Children”
[Recommended by Jason]
- Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves (Country * 2018)
March 4, 2026 | Brand new to me, though I had maybe heard of the artist | I think this is the kind of album that I will like even more with familiarity. I had no reference for it except “country,” which I don’t particularly like. I did like this, though – maybe it leans more folk and/or pop than what I think of as country. I like Musgraves’s voice, and there are pieces of each song that were so perfect. My small criticism is that some of the lyrics seem too cute/clever (e.g., “You can have your space, cowboy” in the song “Space Cowboy” or “I don’t need a Superman to win my lovin’” in the song “Wonder Woman”), but most of those I can get over because of the catchy, light tunes and … I don’t know, just music that I liked. Also, thematically it skews younger than where I am in life, but that’s not a knock on the album. Musically it makes me think of a summer day.
I hadn’t heard ANY of the songs. My favorites on the first listen were “Mother” (good grief, this one got me in the feels), “Happy and Sad,” and “Love Is a Wild Thing.”
[Recommended by the Lazy Genius, Kendra Adachi]
- You Are Not Alone – Mavis Staples (R&B/Soul * 2010)
May 5, 2026 | Familiar to me | This is a longtime favorite, so all the songs were familiar, though I did listen all the way through, including the ones I sometimes skip. The title track remains one of my favorite songs of all time, and other favorites from this listen were “In Christ There Is No East or West” and especially “We’re Going to Make It.”
- Thriller – Michael Jackson (Pop * 1982)
May 5, 2026 | Songs familiar to me as singles, not as a whole album | Well, this put me right back in fourth grade (I remember someone brought it to music class when it was their turn to bring a song to dance to, but I don’t recall which song was actually played). My thought listening through this time was that I like the familiarity and the nostalgia more than I like the actual music. I was actively annoyed by some of the lyrics (e.g., “the doggone girl is mine”) and MJ’s voice, while distinctive and so easily recognizable, isn’t one I am particularly taken by. From a music history standpoint, I can recognize the album’s significance, but it’s not one I’ll reach for to play on repeat.
Favorites this time: “Human Nature” and “Beat It”