Pretty much any Beatles album, as well as the first 4 Ramones albums. Also, THe Sex Pistols, Never Mind The Bollocks… - “Holidays In The Sun”, “Anarchy In The UK”, “God Save The Queen”.
Which reminds me - Queen, The Game - “Play The Game”, “Another One Bites The Dust”, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, “Save Me”.
Pixies - Doolittle
“Debaser,” “Monkey Gone To Heaven,” “Here Comes Your Man” (“Wave Of Mutilation” and “Gouge Away” should probably qualify as well)
Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
“California Uber Alles,” “Holiday In Cambodia,” “Let’s Lynch The Landlord,” “Chemical Warfare”
David Bowie - Hunky Dory
“Changes,” “Oh! You Pretty Things,” “Life On Mars?” “Queen Bitch”
Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
“Anarchy In The UK,” “God Save The Queen,” “Pretty Vacant”
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” “The Boy With A Thorn In His Side,” “Bigmouth Strikes Again”
The Smiths - The Smiths
“Reel Around The Fountain,” “What Difference Does It Make?” “This Charming Man,” “Hand In Glove”
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
“Blister In The Sun,” “Kiss Off,” “Add It Up,” “Gone Daddy Gone”
Weezer - The Blue Album
“Buddy Holly,” “Undone (The Sweater Song),” “Say It Ain’t So” (maybe “My Name Is Jonas”)
Wee Bairn, I’ll see your Led Zeppelin IV, and raise you Led Zeppelin I, II, and III.
I: Good Times, Bad Times; Dazed and Confused; Communication Breakdown
II: Whole Lotta Love; The Lemon Song; Ramble On; Living Loving Maid
III: Immigrant Song; Since I’ve Been Loving You; Gallows Pole
Modest Mouse -Lonesome Crowded West
Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine; Trailer Trash; Styrofoam Boots;
Sublime - Self Titled
Garden Groove; Santeria; What I Got
Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
Gin & Juice, Tha Shiznit, Ain’t No Fun
Operation Ivy - Energize
Knowledge, Take Warning, Vulnerability, Smiling, etc take your pick. Maybe the most underrated album of all time (and its really not all that underrated, thats how good it is).
Ween - Quebec
It’s Gonna Be a Long Night, Happy Colored Marbles, Transdermal Celebration
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Only Shallow, Loomer, Sometimes
NoFX - *Heavy Petting Zoo *
Philthy Phil Philanthropist, Hot Dog in a Hallway, Drop the World
Janes Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual
Stop, Three Days, Been Caught Stealing
Beck - Odelay
Devil’s Haircut, Lord Only Knows, Jackass
Tenacious D - Self Titled
Kielbasa, Kyle Quit the Band, Karate, Rock Your Socks Off, Really almost the entire album.
As mentioned - Pink Floyd - DostM, although I’ll pick Breathe, Time, & Money. I’ll also give honorable mention to *Meddle * with Fearless, One of These Days, and Echose (one of the best songs ever)
Queen -News of the World -“We Will Rock You”, “We Are The Champions” and “Spread Your Wings”
I came to mention “Aja”, but I was going to use “Black Cow”, “Home At Last” and “I Gt The News” as examples!
mm
The Police
Reggatta de Blanc: Message In A Bottle, Walking On The Moon, Reggatta de Blanc (it won a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental in 1980… I know, that’s a stretch)
Synchronicity: Every Breath You Take, King Of Pain, Wrapped Around Your Finger
Stone Temple Pilots
Core: Plush, Creep, Wicked Garden
Radiohead
The Bends: Just, High And Dry, Street Spirit (Fade Out)
OK Computer: Paranoid Android, Let Down, Karma Police
Prince
Purple Rain: Purple Rain, When Doves Cry, Let’s Go Crazy
Oasis
(What’s The Story) Morning Glory: Wonderwall, Some Might Say, Don’t Look Back In Anger
Michael Jackson
Off The Wall: Don’t Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Rock With You, She’s Out Of My Life
Thriller: Beat It, Billie Jean, Thriller
INXS
Kick: Devil Inside, Need You Tonight, New Sensation
Bobby Brown
Don’t Be Cruel: Don’t Be Cruel, My Prerogative, Roni
That’ll do for now. I guess there is the question of “what makes a song a classic?” to be answered… Lisa-go-Blind listed a bunch of Smiths albums that I would agree with, but I’m so ridiculously in love with that band I could never be partial.
…and “Bargain” and “Song is Over.”
CCR - Green River - Green River, Lodi, Bad Moon Rising, Locomoton
CCR - Cosmo’s Factory - Travelin’ Band, Lookin’ Out My Back Door, Run Through the Jungle, Up around the bend, Who’ll Stop the Rain, I Heard it Through The Grapevine, Long as I can See the Light.
Now that’s a classic album.
I believe I would deny quite a few of these selections.
Post 31 and nobody has mentioned Springsteen’s Born in the USA? It’s one of those albums that sound like a greatest hits without being one!
Born in the USA, Cover me, Downbound train, Bobby Jean…
Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy: Excitable Boy, Werewolves of London, Lawyers, Guns and Money
Queen - Jazz: Bicycle Races, Fat Bottom Girls and Don’t Stop Me Now
Guns N Roses - Appetite For Destruction: Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, Sweet Child o’ Mine
Steely Dan - Katy Lied: Black Friday, Chain Lightning, Doctor Wu
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City, Starman, Rebel, Rebel (or was that a re-release bonus track?)
Simon & Garfunkel probably have a couple.
Links go to Amazon, which has clips of all the songs.
Primus, Sailing the Seas of Cheese - “Here Come the Bastards”, “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver”, “Tommy the Cat”
Soundgarden, Badmotorfinger - “Rusty Cage”, “Outshined”, “Jesus Christ Pose”
Soundgarden, Superunknown - “My Wave”, “Black Hole Sun”, “Spoonman”
Are these “classic” in the opinion of fans of the given band, or “classic” in the opinion of the “general public” (or the general rock-listening public)?
Because if it’s the latter, I’d say a lot of these responses don’t really qualify.
If it were the former, would we be bringing up bands like (for example) Primus, Tenacious D, or the Dead Kennedys?
John Lennon - Double Fantasy: “(Just Like) Starting Over,” “Beautiful Boy,” “Watching the Wheels,” “Woman”
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass: “My Sweet Lord,” “All Things Must Pass,” “Art of Dying,” “Beware of Darkness,” and… pretty much the rest of the album.
Ringo Starr - Ringo: “I’m the Greatest,” “Photograph,” “You’re Sixteen (You’re Beautiful and You’re Mine),” “It Don’t Come Easy.”
The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God: “If I Should Fall From Grace With God,” “Thousands are Sailing,” “Fairytale of New York,” “Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six.”
Elvis Costello - Blood and Chocolate: “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” “Home is Anywhere You Hang Your Head,” “I Want You”
Jethro Tull, Aqualung -
Aqualung
Locomotive Breath
Cross-eyed Mary
Yeah, not to be the thread police or anything, but there’s a difference between “three undeniable classics” and “three songs I really like.”
My original idea of “classic” in the OP was not stated, but astorian provided a very good definition in post #9.
Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits: Money For Nothing, Walk of Life, So Far Away (and the title track)