# Best concept albums - nomination thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 11, 2013, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554 "2013-09-11T04:43:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/61 "2013-09-12T01:46:20Z")
_Keynsham_ by the Bonzo Dog Band, which made several “Best Concept album” lists in the UK in the early 70s. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/62 "2013-09-12T03:38:44Z")
Willie Nelson - _Redheaded Stranger_ (already nominated, but worthy of a second) Bruce Springsteen - _Nebraska_ Kenny Rogers - _Gideon_. Probably his most widely-forgotten album, but it was my first introduction to concept albums. And it had some pretty good songs, including “Home to the Rock” and “Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer”, (with Kim Karnes) which was later a hit single. Ian Tyson - _Cowboyography_. At the risk of over-advocating a personal favorite, (I’ve mentioned it several times in this sort of thread), but it really is a first-rate piece of work, a classic among modern country/folk albums. Emmylou Harris - _Ballad of Sally Rose_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/63 "2013-09-12T06:46:55Z")
> [@OtisCampbellWasRight](#): > > All these posts and no one has mentioned the arguably first concept album? The Beatles St. Peppers Lonely Heart Club band? > > …and you call yourselves old Hippies! 🆒 Yeah, that’s weird. And it is a great album too. I’ll throw in Sinatra’s Songs for Swinging Lovers. And to irritate the Floyd purists, The Final Cut. Also, Let It Be, originally to be titled “Get Back” which was as a concept to get back to their rocking roots. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/64 "2013-09-12T07:01:05Z")
Has anyone mentioned Brian Eno? How can we have missed that? No real need to pick a single album as pretty his full back catalogue is a concept in progress. Perhaps “music for airports” is worth a specific mention. ---
**Author:** ![OtisCampbellWasRight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@OtisCampbellWasRight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtisCampbellWasRight)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/65 "2013-09-12T11:28:47Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Yeah, that’s weird. And it is a great album too. I’ll throw in Sinatra’s Songs for Swinging Lovers. And to irritate the Floyd purists, The Final Cut. Also, Let It Be, originally to be titled “Get Back” which was as a concept to get back to their rocking roots. For me it’s difficult to listen to ANY Pink Floyd album and say it’s NOT a concept album. Their songs just seem to flow together beautifully. ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/66 "2013-09-12T12:31:17Z")
Marillion’s Misplaced Childhood probably wins the title for me, but a couple of favorites that have not yet been mentioned: Titus Andronicus - [The Monitor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monitor_(album)) Okkervil River - [Black Sheep Boy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sheep_Boy) The Decemberists’ Hazards of Love is another great one that’s already been listed above. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/67 "2013-09-12T13:23:03Z")
I’ll go out on a limb and nominate [Killers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killers_(Iron_Maiden_album)) by Iron Maiden, from the criminally overlooked Paul Di’Anno era. Thinking about this, it strikes me as odd that the original Black Sabbath never really did a concept album. [Paranoid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranoid_(album)) is close, especially when you consider that it was originally going to be titled _War Pigs_. But then they close it with “Fairies Wear Boots”, which doesn’t really fit in. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/68 "2013-09-12T13:27:44Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > It’s like the lighthouse keeper’s beam. 😃 I’m glad someone has heard of it. It should start a subcategory of its own - science fiction themed concept albums. There’s Hope by Klaatu, there’s the War of the Worlds, and there’s Clockwork Angels by Rush … there must be many others, but those are the ones I know best. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/69 "2013-09-12T13:48:06Z")
I’ll second Mastodon’s _Blood Mountain_, Zappa’s _Joe’s Garage_, and Dream Theater’s _Scenes from a Memory_. I’ll also throw in a few I haven’t seen mentioned yet: Blind Guardian’s _Nightfall in Middle Earth_ Iced Earth’s _Framing Armageddon_ Ayreon’s _01011001_ (sometimes called _Y_) > [@Malthus](#): > > It should start a subcategory of its own - science fiction themed concept albums. There’s Hope by Klaatu, there’s the War of the Worlds, and there’s Clockwork Angels by Rush … there must be many others, but those are the ones I know best. Also almost evrything by Ayreon. I say “almost” because _Actual Fantasy_ isn’t a concept album. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/70 "2013-09-12T14:41:37Z")
Mercyful Fate - _Don’t Break The Oath_. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/71 "2013-09-12T14:43:53Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Current 93 - _Black Ships Ate the Sky_ Is _Sleep Has His House_ a concept album, too? Because that one’s a masterpiece. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/72 "2013-09-12T14:45:43Z")
_Alice Cooper Goes To Hell_ would have made a great musical. ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/73 "2013-09-12T15:04:29Z")
I have to nominate Dan Fogelberg’s _The Innocent Age._ ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/74 "2013-09-12T16:45:23Z")
> [@Steken](#): > > Mercyful Fate - _Don’t Break The Oath_. May as well nominate _Abigail_ by King Diamond, then. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/75 "2013-09-12T19:54:50Z")
Another one I forgot: _Quantum Hack Code_ by **Amogh Symphony** ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/76 "2013-09-12T20:44:58Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > May as well nominate _Abigail_ by King Diamond, then. Pretty much all of his albums, especially solo. ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/77 "2013-09-13T01:39:50Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Two of my favorites (that no one else has mentioned yet) are on the list. > Triumvirat - “Spartacus” Good one. Also **666** by _Aphrodite’s Child_. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/78 "2013-09-13T02:37:55Z")
> [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](#): > > Okkervil River - [Black Sheep Boy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sheep_Boy) I love this album, but what’s the concept? > [@Malthus](#): > > 😃 > I’m glad someone has heard of it. There’s actually a poster here named Politzania! Every time he posts, that song gets stuck in my head for half a day. 🙂 Meanwhile, how did I not mention “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” by Neutral Milk Hotel!? My favorite concept album ever. ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/79 "2013-09-13T13:50:05Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > I love this album, but what’s the concept? It’s not an easy one to see, admittedly. I’d have said it was about the narrator struggling to deal with love in the face of addiction, then maturing and coming to terms with it in the end. But here’s what [Pitchfork](http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5963-black-sheep-boy/) had to say: > [@](#): > > A concept album that moves thematically rather than narratively, Black Sheep Boy was inspired by the Tim Hardin song of the same name and begins with a more or less faithful cover. The following 10 songs expound on these themes of prodigality and wanderlust as the band display an unflinching devotion to the sheepish title metaphor, following it all the way through until the boy becomes a ram. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554/81 "2013-09-13T16:12:17Z")
> [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](#): > > I’ll go out on a limb and nominate [Killers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killers_(Iron_Maiden_album)) by Iron Maiden, from the criminally overlooked Paul Di’Anno era. Yes! If they had only done one album, it’s the one I’d pick. If they had only done one song, it would have to be Killers. (With Wrathchild a close second). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-concept-albums-nomination-thread/668554.md?page=5)