Top 10 Classic Rock Must Have Albums

[Texsox]

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Top 10 Essential Classic Rock Albums

 

Guide Picks

From Dave White,

Your Guide to Classic Rock.

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If you're just starting a classic rock collection, this is the place to begin.

 

These albums were chosen because they reflect the variety of musical styles that are found within the genre of classic rock.

 

Choices are based on the continued popularity of the music and the artists, and the degree to which they define the genre.

 

This list covers only a fraction of the best classic rock albums. It represents a recommended starting place for developing a full appreciation of the genre.

1) Sticky Fingers

Rolling Stones

More than six million copies have been sold since it was released in April 1971. This was the first album recorded on the group's own label, the first in which Mick Taylor played guitar on all the tracks, and only the fourth to be released worldwide. Because it contains tracks recorded at various times between 1969 and 1971, it serves as a showcase of the Stones' work at a time when the group was still honing its musical identity.

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2) Who's Next

The Who

If you're a fan of the popular CSI TV shows, you're already familiar with two of the cuts from this groundbreaking album that serve as their theme songs, "Won't Get Fooled Again" (Listen / Download) and "Baba O'Riley" (Listen / Download). Released in 1971, this was one the most technically advanced albums of its day, featuring some of the first use of an electronic synthesizer, and an acoustic engineering technique that gave the music a deep, full quality, even on AM radio.

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3) Led Zeppelin IV

Led Zeppelin

The group's fourth album actually has no title that can be pronounced or reproduced with alphanumeric characters, consisting instead of a series of hand drawn symbols. The group could go hard, as with "Rock and Roll" (Listen), or soft, as with "Stairway To Heaven" (Listen), the song believed to have received the most ever radio airplay. Because it represents the band's broad range of musical styles, this album (also sometimes known as "Zoso" or "The Rune Album") is an essential.

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4) Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd

Although it has sold more than 13-million copies worldwide, this album wasn't as popular as The Wall or Dark Side of the Moon. It is significant because it is so indicative of the group's intensely complicated musical compositions and its elaborate studio production. The title song was a tribute to founding member, Syd Barrett, who, by the time this album was released in September 1975 had left the group due to erratic behavior brought on by mental illness.

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5) Revolver

The Beatles

This was the 13th of the 20 Beatles albums released in the United States. It was released in August 1966, roughly in the middle of the Beatles' ten-year life. It is significant because it reflects both the style of the band's earlier work, and their first experiments with new stylistic elements that would become common in their later albums. Over the years, Revolver has repeatedly received critical acclaim as one of the best albums of the era.

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6) After Bathing At Baxter's

Jefferson Airplane

The group's third album, released in 1967, is the quintessential psychedelic rock album. From its title, to its cover, which depicted a house as a whimsical flying machine, to quirky song titles like "The Ballad of You & Me and Pooneil" (Listen / Download) and "A Small Package of Value Will Come to You, Shortly" (Listen / Download) this album defined the psych rock genre.

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7) Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton with Delaney & Bonnie

After the breakup of Cream in 1968, Clapton wanted to get out of the spotlight, and signed on as a sideman with Delaney and Bonnie. Delaney Bramlett's encouragement led to this, Clapton's first solo album, released in 1970. Bramlett also contributed his group as backup, and the song, "Bottle of Red Wine" (Listen / Download). The album is significant because it represents a turning point in Clapton's career, and set the stage for the 39 Clapton albums to follow.

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8) Electric Ladyland

Jimi Hendrix

This album was released in 1968, when Hendrix was in peak form. It was the legendary rock guitarist's only #1 album, and contains samples of his stylistic range, from blues to '50s rock to psychedelia. The album contains what many believe is the best version ever recorded of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" (Listen / Download).

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9) The Doors

The Doors

This group's debut album, it was released in 1967. It contains the song for which the band is best known, "Light My Fire" (Listen / Download). The album's largely dark themes, combined with lead vocalist Jim Morrison's legendary wild lifestyle, set the tone for the rock genre for the next several years.

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10) Blonde On Blonde

Bob Dylan

This was the rock genre's first double album, first released in 1966, and subsequently reissued in at least ten other forms, with changes in the way the tracks were mixed. It was recorded in Nashville, which was somewhat unique at the time, as was the fact that it appealed equally to music critics and music fans.

[Felix]

2) Who's Next

The Who

If you're a fan of the popular CSI TV shows, you're already familiar with two of the cuts from this groundbreaking album that serve as their theme songs, "Won't Get Fooled Again" (Listen / Download) and "Baba O'Riley" (Listen / Download). Released in 1971, this was one the most technically advanced albums of its day, featuring some of the first use of an electronic synthesizer, and an acoustic engineering technique that gave the music a deep, full quality, even on AM radio.

I might be the minority, but I'd take Tommy over Who's Next anyday.

[FlaSoxxJim]

I might be the minority, but I'd take Tommy over Who's Next anyday.

Tough call, but cut for cut I'd give Who's Next the nod as the one for this list. Then again, I tend to put Quadraphenia on more than either of them because Entwhistle's bass lines on that album still completely blow me away.

 

The Rock Top 10 LP's is a hard, hard call. This coming from someone who owns 9 out of 10 of the albums listed in Tex' post ON VINYL (I don't have the Airplaine album, owning only Surrealistic Pillow and 'Worst of').

 

My top 10 (not necessarily my faves, though many of them are) would include:

 

Axis: Bold as Love over Electric Ladyland in the hendrix category. I love Ladyland, but as a double-album I think it has moments on it that are not as through-and-through perfect as Axis.

 

I'd take Zeppelin II over Zeppelin IV. Love IV of course, but Zeppelin II was the album that showed the debut album was no fluke and those guys were for real.

 

It kills me to not give Revolver the nod, and in truth I think the Beatles deserve a couple of albums in the top 10. But, in considering the lost art of the LP I'd put Abbey Road Abbey Road in the top spot. And I'm a hardcore early Beatle fan too, but for them to have put Abbey Road out even while basically hating each other's guts is still an amazing thing.

 

Personal bias here, but I'd include Rock's second double-album after Blonde on Blonde, Zappa and the MOI's 1966 Freak Out. Though the album suffers from its own low points here and there, it showed how much more Rock and Roll could be both musically and socially.

 

I'll agree with Who's Next and Sticky Fingers.

 

Maybe it's the single-malt I've been drinking this evening, but I might put the forst Police album up there. I think an Elvis and the Attractions album may need to get in there too, but I can't decide which.

 

Maybe Songs from Big Pink by the Band.

 

OK, those and maybe a hundred others or so should be in there.

[Felix]

Tough call, but cut for cut I'd give Who's Next the nod as the one for this list.  Then again, I tend to put Quadraphenia on more than either of them because Entwhistle's bass lines on that album still completely blow me away.

I agree with Quadraphenia, its likely my favorite Who album, but I just never got into Who's Next the way I did to Tommy.

 

Axis: Bold as Love over Electric Ladyland in the hendrix category.  I love Ladyland, but as a double-album I think it has moments on it that are not as through-and-through perfect as Axis.

Seconded.

 

I'd take Zeppelin II over Zeppelin IV.  Love IV of course, but Zeppelin II was the album that showed the debut album was no fluke and those guys were for real.

Seconded. IV was good, but II was just better.

 

Personal bias here, but I'd include Rock's second double-album after Blonde on Blonde, Zappa and the MOI's 1966 Freak Out.  Though the album suffers from its own low points here and there, it showed how much more Rock and Roll could be both musically and socially.

I would have included some Zappa on this list, but thats only out of personal bias. I think that Zappa is one of, if not the, most talented artist in rocks history, and would include Joe's Garage, We're Only in it for the Money, Hot Rats, Apostrophe, Shut up 'n Play Yer Guitar, many others and many of his live albums (Broadway the Hard Way, The Best Band You've Never Heard in Your Life, a few of the You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore series, etc.) on any top list I make. But as said, I'm bias, and some of his music is doesn't appeal to the masses, which is what the original list in question is about I believe.

[knightni]

Abbey Road is my favorite Beatles album.

 

The Wall is the best Pink Floyd Album IMO.

 

I'm one of the few people that doesn't care for Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones probably.

 

I mean, some of their songs are "ok", but Zep gives me a headache and the RS's are just blues wannabes.

[DePloderer]

Thanks for the link mate.

[BobDylan]

Where does this guy get off classifying Blonde on Blonde as a rock album? And what the hell is it doing in the company of those 9 lesser albums?

[Texsox]

I couldn't really argue with the list. I think it's very mainstream, and I'm not certain what period he determined could be "classic". I'm a Who fan, they were my favorite group in the 70s and early 80s, and don't have a problem with Next as listed. I think it is a better fit for the average Rock fan, although Who fans may differ. Same thing with the Stones and Zepplin entries. Those groups have to be there and these are their biggest sellers.

 

In fact looking at who is listed, I had a hard time thinking about bouncing any of them out, possibly the Airplane or Clapton albums could be replaced but how could you drop Jimi or the Beatles?

 

The Beach Boys are missing, that seems wrong.

 

Other artists that possibly should be thought of

 

Aerosmith

AC/DC

Queen

U2

[FlaSoxxJim]

You're right about the Beach Boys ommision. Pet Sounds should be there.

[Texsox]

You're right about the Beach Boys ommision.  Pet Sounds should be there.

 

I'd drop Clapton from the list to add Beach Boys.

[FlaSoxxJim]

I think that Zappa is one of, if not the, most talented artist in rocks history, and would include Joe's Garage, We're Only in it for the Money, Hot Rats, Apostrophe, Shut up 'n Play Yer Guitar, many others and many of his live albums (Broadway the Hard Way, The Best Band You've Never Heard in Your Life, a few of the You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore series, etc.) on any top list I make.  But as said, I'm bias, and some of his music is doesn't appeal to the masses, which is what the original list in question is about I believe.

 

Always good to see another FZ fan. There are still a few of us lurking about.

 

And if this was a 'favorite 10' list, my list would be chock full of Beatles, Frank, Todd Rundgren (maybe Something/Anything should be on the list anyway), Jethro Tull, Hendrix, Elvis Costello, etc.

 

The You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore anthology, along with Playground Psychotics and Ahead of Their time, is about the best historical live audio rock documentation out there. When I listen to Stage Vol. 2 (Heksinki) and hear that group pulling off Inca Roads, Montanna, etc. at those breakneck speeds, I really appreciate the insanely great musicianship of that lineup.

[FlaSoxxJim]

I'd drop Clapton from the list to add Beach Boys.

I would as well, but I would agree that the Delaneyand Bonny Clapton debut is his best solo effort. I'm more partial to the Blind Faith and Derrick and the Dominoes one-offs and the Cream catalog than I am to Erics solo body of work which is very uneven.

[Texsox]

Always good to see another FZ fan.  There are still a few of us lurking about. 

 

And if this was a 'favorite 10' list, my list would be chock full of Beatles, Frank, Todd Rundgren (maybe Something/Anything should be on the list anyway), Jethro Tull, Hendrix, Elvis Costello, etc.

 

The You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore anthology, along with Playground Psychotics and Ahead of Their time, is about the best historical live audio rock documentation out there.  When I listen to Stage Vol. 2 (Heksinki) and hear that group pulling off Inca Roads, Montanna, etc. at those breakneck speeds, I really appreciate the insanely great musicianship of that lineup.

 

Damn, when we have the soxtalk rave, you are so in charge of the tunes

[Felix]

I really appreciate the insanely great musicianship of that lineup.

That's what I love about Zappa's music, especially the live stuff. His band must have been so close (and from what I've heard, they spent months living together just so they were that close) and so exceedingly gifted to do some of the things that he had them do. Then, during the live shows, they would ad lib by involving the crowd or something, and yet they would still keep every sound perfect. From a normal listeners point of view, his music is great, but from a technical point of view, his music is downright amazing.

[Kyyle23]

Hmm, I have 7 out of the 10 of those albums on my Ipod. Im kind of proud of myself.

 

I think Creedence would be a 10-A for me.

[The Critic]

I'll have the Beatles and Dylan, you can keep everything else on that list.

[Kid Gleason]

I'm kind of proud of myself also, as I only have two of those.

 

I hate lists like these, as they should always start with a comment along the lines of "this is a personal list that I decided to do because I couldn't come up with a worthwhile article so I fell back on a 'list' idea that I obviously have no qualifications to make my choices any better than your choices and I plan to show just how limited my taste in music is because I will list the same damn albums that 80% (rough number there kids) of the rest of America will list because most people won't veture outside of Rolling Stone magazine or their damn radio's to try and find music", or something along those lines. It's not just "Classic Rock" (whatever the hell that is, as that catergory will just continue to grow as the years spin on by all of us and one day friggin' Cradle Of Filth, Disturbed, Rancid, and any other modern band to us now will be sitting there alongside Jefferson Airplane/Starship and any other "old" music) that falls into these realms, it's any friggin' list. It's all opinion and it's usually spewed out by people who has a CD collection built large by a membership to Columbia House or BMG. People whose idea of "taking a chance" is buying a CD that has a ton of hype from the "critics" who write for Rolling Stone. People who have never walked into a record joint with no idea what they are going to buy, and then spend a couple hours digging through the CD/album/cassette's, ending up with a stack of things that just "look interesting" and picking and choosing from there. People who don't read between the lines and find in a review of the new Green Day see one bands name mentioned and then think to themselves "hmmm, maybe I'll buy that instead of the new Green Day.

 

Sorry, I just hate these lists.

 

If you're just starting a classic rock collection, this is the place to begin.

 

Pompous, arrogant statement. No Dave, tell people to go buy an issue of Goldmine and do a little "research". These are the standard albums people would buy, how about doing some REAL help and point people in the direction of Granicus? I truely great band that had an amazing debut album, and then vanished.

[The Critic]

I would LOVE to see Cradle Of Filth listed as "classic rock" someday!

I understand your point and agree with you, Kid.

If I was a writer, my list of "essential albums" would look nothing like Dave's.

[Kid Gleason]

Looking back at the article, it does say it was based on sales though. Gee, thanks for the help Dave...like that was a tough article to put together, and a buncha help. Just a waste of time.

 

Of course, it could also be broken down into some interesting articles.

 

"Top 10 Classic Rock albums as bought by Wal-Mart customers" could actually be a fascinating article, and we might find that according to Wal-Mart shoppers, the greatest band in history is indeed Air Supply!

[The Critic]

Looking back at the article, it does say it was based on sales though. Gee, thanks for the help Dave...like that was a tough article to put together, and a buncha help. Just a waste of time.

 

Of course, it could also be broken down into some interesting articles.

 

"Top 10 Classic Rock albums as bought by Wal-Mart customers" could actually be a fascinating article, and we might find that according to Wal-Mart shoppers, the greatest band in history is indeed Air Supply!

You looked at that article a second time? Glutton for punsihment, are ya?

[bmags]

Wish you were here? That album was so inconsistant and ran long. Now granted i'm not a fan of later pink floyd but i think you'd still have to go with the generic (in terms of always mentioned) dark side.

 

terrible list thou, why not put some stuff that people might not have given a shot back then but have grown a bit of a following now? This is just people giving themselves a pat on the back. No one is gonna see an album on that list and be like "oh man, how did i miss this"...we've all heard all those albums before

 

and Rubber soul>Revolver.

 

anyway if i were to make a list it'd probably be somethin like:

Can - Tago Mago

Neu!-Neu!

Velvet Underground - VU and Nico

Led Zeppelin - II

Neil Young - After the Goldrush

The Beatles - Rubber Soul

the Zombies - Odessey and Oracle *actually not sure if this is "classic rock" but i'm confused what that genre means anyway*

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds *same*

Brian Eno - Here Come the Warm jets

The Stooges - Funhouse

 

ehhh, some glaring omissions but i like it.

[Felix]

Velvet Underground - VU and Nico

Yea, I was curious where that was on the original list of this thread. I expected that to be there, but it wasn't

[YASNY]

Coming up with a top ten list would be extremely difficult, imho. And, of course, nobody is going to agree with you on everything and you'd get slammed on a lot of choices.

[bmags]

Coming up with a top ten list would be extremely difficult, imho. And, of course, nobody is going to agree with you on everything and you'd get slammed on a lot of choices.

 

but he could at least make it interesting...

[hammerhead johnson]

Where does this guy get off classifying Blonde on Blonde as a rock album? And what the hell is it doing in the company of those 9 lesser albums?

 

Bob, you have such a unique way of getting your point across.

 

I have become a huge Bob Dylan fan over the course of the past year or so, and it's almost entirely due to the bootlegs. Personally, I think that "Blonde On Blonde" is terrible, but that's just me. I traded for a good 15 concerts from 1966 before I actually sat down to listen to even one of them, and now they're just gonna take up space in my office. Looking back, I realize that his 1966 offerings held me back from exploring the rest of his catalog.

 

I put this 7CD set together for my father-in-law this past December from a collection of 150+ bootlegs and all of his official albums:

 

Bob Dylan Volume 1

1962-1963 Demos

1. Walkin' Down The Line

2. Girl Of The North Country

3. Farewell

4. Don't Think Twice

5. Boots Of Spanish Leather

6. Hard Rain

7. I'd Hate To Be You

8. Masters Of War

9. John Brown

10. Talkin' John Birchard Blues

11. Guess I'm Doing Fine

12. Paths Of Victory

13. Tomorrow Is A Long Time

14. Baby Let Me Follow You Down

15. When The Ship Comes In

 

Bob Dylan Volume 2

1962-1964 Officials

1. Chimes Of Freedom

2. Mr. Tambourine Man

3. Girl Of The North Country

4. I Don't Believe You

5. It Ain't Me Babe

6. Boots Of Spanish Leather

7. When The Ship Comes In

8. Gates Of Eden

9. The Times

10. With God On Our Side

11. Only A Pawn In Their Game

12. Masters Of War

13. Hard Rain

14. Don't Think Twice

15. Lay Down Your Weary Tune

 

Bob Dylan Volume 3

1965 Live Tour

1. Don't Think Twice (Manchester 5/7/65)

2. To Ramona (Sheffield 4/30/65)

3. She Belongs To Me (Los Angeles 9/3/65)

4. Gates Of Eden (Manchester 5/7/65)

5. It Ain't Me Babe (London 5/10/65)

6. If You Gotta Go, Go Now (Manchester 5/7/65)

7. Love Minus Zero (Newcastle 5/6/65)

8. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (London 5/10/65)

9. The Times (Manchester 5/7/65)

10. With God On Our Side (Manchester 5/7/65)

11. Mr. Tambourine Man (Newport 7/25/65)

12. Boots Of Spanish Leather (London 6/8/65)

13. One Too Many Mornings (London 6/8/65)

14. Like A Rolling Stone (Newport 7/25/65)

 

Bob Dylan Volume 4

1965 Outtakes

1. Instrumental #1

2. You Don't Have To Do That

3. Please Crawl Out Your Window

4. If You Gotta Go, Go Now

5. She Belongs To Me

6. Visions Of Johanna #1

7. Love Minus Zero

8. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue

9. Instrumental #2

10. Midnight Train

11. I'll Keep It With Mine

12. Visions Of Johanna #2

13. Desolation Row

14. Miami Sales Message

15. Like A Rolling Stone (Mono)

16. Positively 4th Street (Mono)

 

Bob Dylan Volume 5

1967 Officials & Basement Tapes

1. I'm A Lonesome Hobo

2. As I Went Out One Morning

3. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine

4. Dear Landlord

5. I Pity The Poor Immigrant

6. All Along The Watchtower

7. Drifter's Escape

8. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

9. Wicked Messenger

10. Frankie Lee & Judas Priest

11. French Girl (Outtake)

12. Four Strong Winds (Outtake)

13. One Single River (Outtake)

 

Bob Dylan Volume 6

1969-1971 Officials, Outtakes, Live

1. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Official)

2. Mr. Bojangles (Outtake)

3. I Threw It All Away (Outtake)

4. Can't Help Falling In Love (Outtake)

5. Cupid (Outtake)

6. Big Yellow Taxi (Outtake)

7. Gates Of Eden (Outtake)

8. Ballad Of Ira Hayes (Outtake)

9. Marianne (Outtake)

10. Love Minus Zero (MSG 1/8/71)

11. Hard Rain (MSG 1/8/71)

12. Blowin' In The Wind (MSG 1/8/71)

 

Bob Dylan Volume 7

1974 Officials, Originals, Outtakes

1. Idiot Wind (Original)

2. You're A Big Girl Now (Original)

3. Tangled Up In Blue (Original)

4. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome (Official)

5. Shelter From The Storm (Official)

6. Simple Twist Of Fate (Official)

7. Up To Me (Outtake)

8. Buckets Of Rain (Official)

9. Lily, Rosemary, And The Jack Of Hearts (Original)

10. Tangled Up In Blue (Outtake)

11. Shelter From The Storm (Outtake)

 

I can't stand "Nashville Skyline" either, but the outtake for "I Threw It All Away" is great because he sings it in his natural voice.

 

As far as my favorite Dylan material is concerned, it's a tie between the 1965 live stuff and the 1974 NY studio sessions. The Witmark Demos from 1962-1963 and the John Wesley Harding tracks would come immediately after those two.