# Albums with at least three undeniably classic tracks. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 19, 2007, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553 "2007-01-19T03:17:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/61 "2007-01-20T20:24:34Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] I challenge the legitimacy of these albums for this thread on the grounds of one or more of these things: 1. I haven’t heard of any of the songs listed. 2. There must be three classics at least, not one or two and a questionable third. 3. I don’t think they fit the spirit of the OP, even by **Astorian’s** definition, which I think is a little too vague (classic within the genre? What does that even mean? Should we be listing Mozart and Dwight Yoakam, then?) 4. My response on reading them as candidates for this thread was, “Are you freakin’ kidding me?” [/QUOTE] On most of the listed albums I might agree with you. But with several of them, you are calling into question your self-description as an “audiophile.” For example, what’s your objection to this one? > [@](#): > > Weezer - The Blue Album > “Buddy Holly,” “Undone (The Sweater Song),” “Say It Ain’t So” (maybe “My Name Is Jonas”) I see three hits that still get regular airplay. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/62 "2007-01-20T21:10:23Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] Rolling Stones – **Let it Bleed** “Gimme Shelter,” “Let it Bleed,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” “Midnight Rambler.” ( **Beggars Banquet** could also be considered. [/QUOTE] I’ll see both your albums, and raise you **Sticky Fingers** : Brown Sugar, Wild Horses, Can’t You Hear Me Knockin, Bitch. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/63 "2007-01-20T22:49:16Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] \*Genesis: Selling England by The Pound Firth of Fifth Cinema Show I Know What I Like \*I think Genesis should be on the list of undeniable classic albums for this thread, but why not an album with songs that people outside of England have heard of (like, say, “Invisible Touch”, with Throwing it All Away, Tonight Tonight, Land of Confusion, and Invisible Touch on it)? [/QUOTE] I picked Selling England by the Pound because those three songs have continued to be played by Genesis in their most recent tours. The Invisible Touch (1987) tour had the instrumental section of Cinema Show included. The We Can’t Dance (1992) tour had Firth of Fifth and I Know What I Like. Also, the three songs have been influential on prog rock. One could also include Dancing with the Moonlit Knight as well. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/64 "2007-01-20T23:21:56Z")
**Meatloaf** _Bat Out of Hell_ : “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”, “Bat Out of Hell”, “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth”, “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad”, & “All Revved Up With No Place to Go”. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2007, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/65 "2007-01-20T23:50:02Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] Wow, you’ve kind of destroyed your credibility there, haven’t you? I don’t think you’re completely wrong in your other points but I can’t agree with that being any sort of bellwether of where an album is a classic or not. [/QUOTE] Well, I would join **featherlou** on quite a few of those. How many votes do you need before you decide that it’s less about our credibility and more about the possibility that maybe there aren’t three undeniably classic tracks on those albums? ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/66 "2007-01-21T00:07:40Z")
Without really debating the issue too much, I have to say that I’m surprised that **featherlou** had objections to two of the albums on my list… and neither of them was Ringo. Finally, some respect for Mr. Starkey! ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/67 "2007-01-21T00:31:13Z")
This is going to be debated. I think however, in terms of “GREAT” songs, on the same disc, that have potential to be classic in the future, a certain disc must show up. Destiny’s Child “The Writings on the Wall”: Say My Name Jumpin Jumpin Bills, Bills, Bills And yes, I know this genre is perhaps not what the OP was going for. However, I own the disc, and I never thought I would be the “type” to like it. That should prove that the disc belongs on the list. For the genre it belongs to, these gongs are great. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/68 "2007-01-21T00:48:02Z")
Carole King, **Tapestry** : I Feel The Earth Move, So Far Away, It’s Too Late, You’ve Got A Friend, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Smackwater Jack, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/69 "2007-01-21T02:41:45Z")
Okay, several have already pointed out the obviousness of this, but I can’t resist. The Beatles (and I’ll just try to stay with most obvious classics / hits): **Please, Please Me** : I Saw Her Standing There, Please Please Me, Love Me Do, P.S. I Love You, Do You Want To Know A Secret, Twist and Shout **Meet The Beatles** : I Want To Hold Your Hand, I Saw Her Standing There, All My Loving, I Wanna Be Your Man **A Hard Day’s Night** : Hard Day’s Night, I Should Have Known Better, If I Fell, And I Love Her, Can’t Buy Me Love, Things We Said Today, You Can’t Do That **Beatles For Sale** : No Reply, I’m A Loser, I’ll Follow The Sun, Eight Days A Week **Help!** : Help!, The Night Before, You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away, Another Girl, Ticket To Ride, I’ve Just Seen a Face, Yesterday **Rubber Soul** : Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), Nowhere Man, Michelle, Girl, In My Life **Revolver** : Taxman; Eleanor Rigby; Here, There and Everywhere; Yellow Submarine; Got To Get You Into My Life **Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band** : Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, With A Little Help From My Friends, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, When I’m Sixty Four, A Day In The Life **Magical Mystery Tour** : Magical Mystery Tour; The Fool On The Hill; I Am The Walrus; Hello, Goodbye; Strawberry Fields Forever; Penny Lane; All You Need Is Love **The Beatles (a.k.a. The White Album)**: Back In The U.S.S.R., Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Blackbird, Birthday, Helter Skelter **Abbey Road** : Come Together, Something, Octopus’s Garden, Here Comes The Sun, She Came In Through The Bathroom Window **Let It Be** : Across The Universe, Let It Be, The Long And Winding Road, Get Back And, of course, I left out lots of stuff quite arguably “classic.” I’m beginning to think these guys were pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/70 "2007-01-21T03:24:55Z")
Willie Nelson’s 1975 album _Red Headed Stranger_ is, in my view, a classic in its entirety. If I had to pick “three undeniably classic tracks,” I’d go with “Red Headed Stranger,” “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” and “Remember Me.” ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/71 "2007-01-21T03:27:41Z")
[QUOTE=whitetho] Carole King, **Tapestry** : I Feel The Earth Move, So Far Away, It’s Too Late, You’ve Got A Friend, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Smackwater Jack, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman [/QUOTE] Dangit, I make it all the way to the back page without seeing _Tapestry_ mentioned, and was going to get to gloat. “Beat you _all_, folks!”. **whitetho** left out the tracks “Home Again”, “Beautiful”, and “Way Over Yonder”, also on that album. Oddly enough the only track on the whole album I don’t regard as a total classic is the eponymous one “Tapestry”. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/72 "2007-01-21T03:38:30Z")
From **More of The Monkees** : _(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone_ _Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)_ _I’m a Believer_ ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/73 "2007-01-21T03:46:25Z")
How about **The Band** – _The Band_ The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down Up on Cripple Creek Rag Mama Rag Unfaithful Servant ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/74 "2007-01-21T04:51:06Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] [Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness](http://album.lyricsfreak.com/s/smashing+pumpkins/mellon+collie+and+the+infinite+sadness_20009919.html) - \*\*Smashing Pumpkins \*\* : “1979” “Tonight, Tonight” “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” (The world is a vampire…) [/QUOTE] I’ll chip in with a classic three-play from _Siamese Dream_: “Cherub Rock” “Today” “Disarm” (and posisbly “Rocket”) ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/75 "2007-01-21T06:07:54Z")
[QUOTE=dalej42] Also, the three songs have been influential on prog rock. One could also include Dancing with the Moonlit Knight as well. [/QUOTE] Agreed, _Selling England by the Pound_ was extremely influential on the genre. It’s possible that **featherlou** hasn’t heard of it – and I say she should get it and give it a spin – but it doesn’t change the fact that it certainly deserves to be in this list; the three songs you mentioned are legitimate classics. Nevertheless, I’ll agree with featherlou that _Invisible Touch_ also belongs on this list. For, let’s say, Invisible Touch, Land of Confusion and In Too Deep. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/76 "2007-01-21T06:13:35Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] Wow, you’ve kind of destroyed your credibility there, haven’t you?\ [/QUOTE] That was one of my criteria for calling the question on an album - an album doesn’t have to meet all four criteria, just one of them. And no, you don’t have to have heard every band in the world to be an audiophile. I don’t know if you’re Canadian or not, but I have probably heard five thousand more Canadian songs than you have if you aren’t; that doesn’t mean YOU aren’t an audiophile. **look!ninjas** , Ringo passed all four of my criteria. I might think he was the weakest link in the Beatles, but all of the songs you listed have passed into rock and roll history (and I kinda missed it on the first go round. 😃 ) I put Weezer on the list because I only know two of the songs listed, and they still do get play here. The other songs listed might have been the biggest thing ever in the U.S., but they weren’t played here and I don’t know them. And Weezer kinda sucks, so I made no particular effort to get to know them better. I’m not saying my list is canon or something; you don’t agree with it, make your own list. There are any number of albums on my list that I’m not married to keeping there; for example, probably any album by the Beach Boys belongs in a thread like this. My list was mostly a reaction to the posters that always come into threads like this that are asking for broad appeal musical selections and post their most obscure favourites as if everyone in the world listens to them (or, more likely, they want to show off just how wordly and knowledgeable they are that they listen to a band that has a following of four). I’m a fan of [Nash the Slash](http://www.nashtheslash.com/), but I’m not putting any of his albums on this list, cause that isn’t what this thread is looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/77 "2007-01-21T06:29:58Z")
[QUOTE=severus] Agreed, _Selling England by the Pound_ was extremely influential on the genre. It’s possible that **featherlou** hasn’t heard of it – and I say she should get it and give it a spin – but it doesn’t change the fact that it certainly deserves to be in this list; the three songs you mentioned are legitimate classics.\ [/QUOTE] I won’t dispute you too much, if you say it truly belongs here. I’ve never been a big fan of Genesis (too fiddly for my taste). And I would never argue with the place of Genesis in the (prog) rock pantheon. They are certainly a legitimate a super-group, with Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, and Mike Rutherford as alumni. Oh, as for my status as an audiophile, I’ll willingly amend that to a mostly audiophile. I’m not hardcore - I just really like music and discussions of music, listen to it whenever I’m awake, and try to listen to many different bands and styles. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/78 "2007-01-21T06:57:26Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] That was one of my criteria for calling the question on an album - an album doesn’t have to meet all four criteria, just one of them. And no, you don’t have to have heard every band in the world to be an audiophile. I don’t know if you’re Canadian or not, but I have probably heard five thousand more Canadian songs than you have if you aren’t; that doesn’t mean YOU aren’t an audiophile. [/QUOTE] Ok, I got ya. That doesn’t sound quite as bad, but I still don’t know how that negates the possibility of them being classics in the genre. I’m certain that you know much more about the Canadian scene than I do. I listen to a lot of “alternative” and hip hop, and several of the albums listed on your chart meet the muster for me. (Some I agree with.) If the definition of classic is “broad commercial appeal,” that’s going to narrow what we come up with. For example, Pixies might not be known broadly, and I’m sure Doolittle never charted high on the pop charts, but if you are an alternative music maven, those songs are classics without a doubt. I don’t think most of us know enough about every genre out there to be able to discern classic or not from our sometimes cursory knowledge and/or exposure. Maybe we should have posters explain why the tracks are considered classics - high chart position, influenced a slew of other songs, etc. It would make for a shorter thread, but then we could reasonable agree or disagree that a song or album is a classic. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/79 "2007-01-21T08:46:18Z")
Deep Purple: Machinehead - Smoke on the Water, Highway Star, Lazy, Space Trucking ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553/80 "2007-01-21T09:32:52Z")
Primus is somewhat obscure, I grant you. However, there are tons of bassists out there who wish they were 1/100th as good as Les Claypool. If he was as good on guitar as he is on bass, he would easily be considered a legend. As for Soundgarden, when I think of grunge I think of them before Nirvana, but maybe that’s just me. Some of the tracks I listed for either band aren’t even my favorite ones, but I thought they were good examples of their unique sounds, and were the most well known. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-with-at-least-three-undeniably-classic-tracks/388553.md?page=5)