i'd say Pet Sounds is within the rock genre enough that we can include it.

6/10/2007 4:41:09 PM

Pet Sounds is my favorite album.

Pet Sounds is the best album of all time.

Pet Sounds is not a rock album.

6/10/2007 4:43:23 PM

^^ It's not even close.

[Edited on June 10, 2007 at 4:43 PM. Reason : .]

6/10/2007 4:43:25 PM

Where's Jimi Henrdix?

6/10/2007 4:44:59 PM

^ Renton, Washington

6/10/2007 4:47:02 PM

Pet Sounds is the new album to call the best of all time if you want to be a hip music snob

6/10/2007 4:49:34 PM

Nah, it's always been hip to like the Beach Boys more than the Beatles. The English were all over it, especially after Sgt. Pepper's came out.

6/10/2007 4:58:27 PM

I can't wait until its exile on main street in 10 years

6/10/2007 5:04:11 PM

some of mine, in no particular order:

AC/DC - Back in Black

Following the death of Bon Scott, the Young Brothers had to do something to response; something not just good, but legendary. From the haunting funeral bells that kick off the first track, to claiming Rock's immortality in "Rock n' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution," this album is what rock is all about: no nonsense ass-kicking with a chipped tooth grin. AC/DC may have been better as a band with Bon Scott, but as far as albums go, Back in Black was their culmination of raw, emotional, primal energy. And if you think Bon Scott's not in this album, listen closely... his soul haunts it, carrying on through Angus' riffs and Brian Johnson's screeching vocals.

Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run

1975. Acid rock appeals to the long haired post-hippie stoners, and disco appeals to the ever present hipster crowd. What is the normal, everyday, blue collar guy supposed to listen to? Folk? Not their thing. Soul? Better than what it is now, but still not the cup of tea for the everyday hardworking man. No, out of the armpit of the world stepped a ragged rocker with a gravel voice, a leather jacket, and a humming telecaster. Springsteen can be credited with a lot of great things, but most importantly, he should be canonized for killing Disco. In an era when even Kiss' fireworks and spitfire were giving way to Disco's shallow pomp, the classic 50's style rock, with Clarence's saxophone representing sounds not heard since Del Shannon's "Runaway," was alive and well. And selling record. Born to Run is one of those albums that shows its age today, but the importance of it, as well as the appeal to those who have no interest in the intracacies and technicalities of overthought mumbo jumbo, makes this album one of the best of all time.

Van Halen - Van Halen

If Springsteen put a dagger into the heart of Disco, then Van Halen walked up to its face, pulled out a shotgun, and blew its brains all over the dance floor. Seriously, Eruption is still the barometer for guitar gods today. Runnin' with the Devil begins the album with a crescendo of a car horn - the motor coming at you, running you over for the remaining tracks. "You Really Got Me" is an homage to rock's roots, updated. "Ice Cream Man" may have spectacular guitar, but Diamond Dave is never better in his over-the-top vocals and biting double-entendre lyrics. While it's debated heavily, the track to watch out for here is "Ain't Talking Bout Love." In an album of fun, it brings you down, showing VH's muscle and heart. Also, you can't listen to "Jamie's Cryin'" and not hum that song for the rest of the day. It was way ahead of its time; without Eddie and Dave, a whole generation of musicians may never have picked up a guitar... or a pair of spandex.

Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet

Probably the most contested album on my list; mostly because of the era in which it came out, and the scorn for Bon Jovi that most possess. Say what you want about these Jersey dudes, this album rocks. Yes, it's poppy. Yes, it's corny. That was the 80s, and not everyone was as pissed off as Slayer and Metallica were back then. Life was good for most of us, and while the hair band movement was taking off, Bon Jovi was able to combine great songwriting with innocently dirty lyrics to counterbalance the blatant sex-sells notion that bands like Warrant, Ratt, and Whitesnake were doing. "Wanted Dead or Alive" is still badass. "Livin on a Prayer" is still worth putting the top down and screaming to the top of your lungs on a summer drive with friends. "You Give Love a Bad Name" shows its age, but you can't listen to "Never Say Goodbye" and not get a little misty eyed about your high school years. It's a great album that goes away from the rock norm by doing something not done very much since the 80s: it's not angry, it's happy. Life is Good for Bon Jovi... and those of us who enjoy it.

Pearl Jam - Ten

Adam Sandler as Eddie Vedder singing Even Flow on Weekend Update serendipitously showed us why we loved Pearl Jam: who cares what he's saying, he sounds so good saying it. In an era where Nirvana was simplifying melodies, songs like "Jeremy" and "Black" were more complex, and dealt with serious subjects with a sobering honesty. If the 80's were a coked out binge of alcohol and sex, the early 90's alternative movement was the hangover. Pearl Jam's "Ten" showed us that rock hadn't lost it's nuts, it just had to shift gears for awhile. This album, along with Nirvana's work, brought Seattle to the forefront of the Rock Scene, shifting it away from Sunset Strip. Gone were the spandex and glam; flannel, cargo pants, and scruffy whiskers were here to stay.

Aerosmith - Get a Grip

Aerosmith may now be a shell of what they used to be, but for a moment there, they were the last remaining hope of blues-rock fans who thought the Black Crowes had no testicles. This album was sexy, funny, and still incredibly meaningful. "Livin' On The Edge" and "Amazing" showed a side of Steven Tyler that hadn't been seen since "Dream On." Sober for first time in over a decade, the Boston boys put their musical skills together with famed producer Bob Rock and produced multiple hits that both refined and defined Aerosmith. The album still holds up today, with "Crazy" and "Eat the Rich" being just as catchy now as they were then. This is rock and roll at it's best, painted and sprayed head to do with the quirkiness of Rock's biggest lips.



OK, THERE'S A FEW. I'LL DO SOME MORE LATER. THIS IS FUN.

6/10/2007 5:39:54 PM

I'd put The Who's Quadrophenia on the list. They dropped the camp and excessive instrumentation of Tommy, going back to their roots as one of the first real hard-rock bands. Possibly the only studio album they ever released that really captured the loud, raw feel of their live show. They also made a concerted effort to showcase the talents of Entwhistle and Moon.

Quote :

"But there has not been a rock and roll album released since the mid-eighties"

Jet comes to mind immediately. Get Born was most definitely a rock album.

[Edited on June 10, 2007 at 7:21 PM. Reason : ]

6/10/2007 7:19:07 PM

i really hope that "jet" reference was either some sort of sick joke or just a typo

6/10/2007 8:47:17 PM

I'm not saying it's one of the best, just saying that it was a rock album.

6/10/2007 8:51:12 PM

ya and cuba is a democracy

6/10/2007 9:20:54 PM

^^^ oh man, I love the Who, but I do NOT like Quadrophenia. Part of it is because I saw them in concert a while back (minus Moon, of course), and all they did was play straight through Quadrophenia, with a solo-acoustic version (lame) of Won't Get Fooled Again and a couple of other songs as an encore. Man, what a letdown.

^^^^ all good albums, and i actually thought about naming a few of them, but didn't for several reasons. Back In Black is a great album, but from a wounded band that just has never been the same post-Bon Scott. That, and I'm not generally a music snob, but they're AC/DC...they're fun to listen to, and have a lot of good songs, but they just don't really belong on a list like this, in my opinion.

Born To Run is a good album. I'd give that an honorable mention, maybe.

Van Halen 1 is awesome. I think Eddie Van Halen is overrated as a guitarist (at least by the masses), but that's beside the point. He's still really good, and the album is killer from stem to stern, not to mention very influential. I'd actually add this one to my list.

Slippery When Wet: good album, but doesn't belong on this list in my opinion. If hair metal is to be represented, I say let Motley Crue do it...probably Dr Feelgood, although I guess a case could be made for either Girls, Girls, Girls or Shout At the Devil. I also like Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich by Warrant, and for that matter, Cherry Pie...but none of those albums are as solid throughout as say, Appetite For Destruction or Master Of Puppets.

Pearl Jam's Ten is a good one, but it still has a few weak spots (although by far the most solid effort Pearl Jam has ever put forth). At any rate, while it has some REALLY all-star songs on it, I contend that Dirt by Alice in Chains is better ALBUM.

Get A Grip? No way, no how. Pretty good album, no doubt, but it's not even the album I'd pick to showcase AEROSMITH, much less rock music.

and anyone who think the Black Crowes lack testicles should listen to Remedy, No Speak No Slave, A Conspiracy, Twice As Hard, Virtue & Vice, Thick 'n Thin, Sting Me, or Under A Mountain.

6/10/2007 9:36:14 PM

Quote :

"I love the Who, but I do NOT like Quadrophenia. Part of it is because I saw them in concert a while back (minus Moon, of course), and all they did was play straight through Quadrophenia, with a solo-acoustic version (lame) of Won't Get Fooled Again and a couple of other songs as an encore. Man, what a letdown."

I've been listening to the live album from the Royal Albert Hall concerts lately, and it's pretty much a letdown too. No emotion at all through the first 1.5 discs, then Roger finally starts to get into it in the last few tracks on the second disc (after Eddie Vedder and Bryan Adams have already embarrassed him).

But as far as the studio albums go, I'll take Quadrophenia over anything else they've done. It's more cohesive than Who's Next, more rocking (and less drugged) than Tommy, better-recorded than any of their early '60s work. From the second that Pete's guitar kicks in at the beginning of "The Real Me," it's obvious they were setting a completely different tone for this one.

6/10/2007 9:42:27 PM

off the top of my head, i'd have to go with Who's Next.

6/10/2007 10:17:05 PM

Quote :

"Pearl Jam's Ten is a good one, but it still has a few weak spots (although by far the most solid effort Pearl Jam has ever put forth). At any rate, while it has some REALLY all-star songs on it, I contend that Dirt by Alice in Chains is better ALBUM."

i liked ten a lot when it came out and then didn't listen to it for years. i broke it out recently and it really just didn't hold up for me. it sounded very dated and weak in many places. as for pearl jam albums i think "no code" is my favorite by far.

6/10/2007 10:40:29 PM

between 1968 and 1972, the rolling stones released the following albums consecutively:

Beggar's Banquet
Let it Bleed
Get Your Ya Ya's Out! (the greatest live album ever, excluding lou reed's rock n roll animal)
Sticky Fingers
Exile on Main Street

these are the 5 greatest rock and roll albums of all time, and exile is the best.

FACT

6/11/2007 1:26:23 AM

man, Sticky Fingers is tough to beat

and Let It Bleed is no slouch

and Goat's Head Soup was right after that, which I find to be a really good (and underappreciated) album.

and you're right, that is a pretty amazing streak of great music production...but I personally wouldn't put a single one of those albums on the level of, say, Appetite For Destruction. I'd rank Sticky Fingers as comparable to maybe Dark Side Of the Moon as far as the appreciation I have for it...it should probably have been put on my original list (instead of as an honorable mention--although I DON'T rank it as good as most of those original picks...definitly #1 and #4, and probably #2 (although if you take the best 80% of the album, it would be near the top)


i think i'm putting more emphasis on having basically NO weak songs. Obviously all albums have their standout tunes, and the albums I'm listing have more than their fair share of them--but the real thing that sets them apart in my mind from the also-rans is their lack of any weak tunes...like, the worst song on the album is still a B+.

[Edited on June 11, 2007 at 1:54 AM. Reason : asdfasfd]

6/11/2007 1:49:41 AM

^^hahahahah

no.

6/11/2007 1:52:12 AM

^ to be fair, i accidentally posted under my roommates' name, so berate me for that opinion.

but, fuuuuck, man let it bleed and exile are unbelievable. are people in this thread really putting bon jovi as one of their favorite rock albums of all time?

for consideration:
the wild, the innocent, and the e street shuffle (best boss album)
Paranoid (fairies wear boots!)
Layla and other asst'd love songs
Ziggy Stardust
Loaded
the band
disraeli gears
Apostrophe
mad dogs and englishmen
axis: bold as love
remain in light
Led Zeppelin II
pearl
slanted and enchanted or crooked rain, crooked rain
rain dogs
anodyne
rubber soul through abbey road (minus select tracks from the white album)
live phish 18 - bomb factory, disc 2 (best. set. ever.)

6/11/2007 2:20:19 AM

Hendrix- Are You Experienced
Van Morrison- Moondance

6/11/2007 8:49:14 AM

Quote :

"1. Guns 'N Roses - Appetite For Destruction"

Josh, this is a joke right?

6/11/2007 12:31:01 PM

hell no. have you ever listened to that album straight through? it's killer.

6/11/2007 6:06:16 PM

Led Zeppelin- Physical Graffiti

By the way Aerosmith sucks

6/11/2007 6:18:36 PM

^ go listen to, say, Toys In the Attic

(back before Aerosmith reinvented themselves as a not-as-good band)

[Edited on June 11, 2007 at 8:59 PM. Reason : asdf]

6/11/2007 8:59:27 PM

^ go listen to, say, Toys In the Attic

(back when Aerosmith reinvented themselves as a not-as-good band)

and Physical Graffiti is a good album (for that matter, I just looked at a discography, and I'd forgotten how good some of those Zep albums are), but it's not the one I'd prob pick. IV and Houses Of the Holy would prob be the front-runners (and I have II, III, IV, Houses Of the Holy, and Physical Graffiti...all on vinyl, if anyone cares).

6/11/2007 9:03:28 PM

damn duke that is hardcore.

yeah i got

Zeppelin: I,II,III, physical graffiti
and
one live album- how the west was run.

I need to download houses of the holy.

Maybe i should check out Aerosmith's old stuff. I just hear all there new sell out crap and wonder how they made it all these years.

6/11/2007 9:47:54 PM

hey duke, why don't you tell us some albums you have on vinyl?

6/11/2007 10:07:53 PM

^^ houses of the holy is a great one...not too many songs on it, but they're good ones.


and check out Toys In the Attic for old Aerosmith...that's my favorite, anyway.

6/11/2007 11:44:10 PM

sweet vinyls

6/11/2007 11:57:18 PM

6/12/2007 12:08:38 AM

my personal favorites

GNR=Appetite

Soundgarden=Superunknown

Tool=Enema

Floyd= Dark side

6/12/2007 1:40:19 AM

Don't forget:

Boston - Boston



KISS - Alive!



Rush - Moving Pictures



[Edited on June 12, 2007 at 3:41 AM. Reason : TKEshultz did post Moving Pictures, though. ]

6/12/2007 3:35:18 AM

hey spencer...

I have Moving Pictures and the first two Boston albums on the big discs, too.

6/12/2007 10:15:30 AM

1. Pearl Jam - Ten
2. The Who - Quadrophenia
3. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
4. Led Zeppelin - III
5. TIE: The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You and U2 - War

I hate these questions. There are always fifty albums that pop into my head, and each one is as good as the others.

6/12/2007 11:28:29 PM

Quote :

"live phish 18 - bomb factory, disc 2 (best. set. ever.)"

yes! <3 tweezerfest

6/13/2007 1:04:36 AM

^^ TATTOO YOU? yuck. that's probably in the bottom few of the Stones albums--not top few rock albums!

[Edited on June 13, 2007 at 8:16 AM. Reason : and i've already hated on quadrophenia, so i'll let that rest.]

6/13/2007 8:16:27 AM

Quote :

"Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet"

Ugh, Bon Jovi? Seriously?

6/13/2007 9:58:24 AM

The Clash-London Calling
The Pixies-Surfer Rosa
The Stone Roses-self titled
Weezer-Blue Album
Oasis-Definitely Maybe
Blur-Parklife
The Jam-All Mod Cons

6/13/2007 11:31:05 AM

oasis .. pixies .. weezer .. blur

how are these even mentioned in the same thread as the previous mentioned bands like the beatles, zeppelin, rolling stones and the who

tragic

6/13/2007 6:46:02 PM

I'd be ashamed if The Pixies weren't mentioned in this thread

but as we've seen, you can barely even identify a rock album, so I won't hold that against you

[Edited on June 13, 2007 at 6:48 PM. Reason : .]

6/13/2007 6:47:35 PM

who let the skirt in?

6/13/2007 10:09:42 PM