# Classic albums........ **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 6, 2001, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397 "2001-02-06T20:52:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vestal\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5e9695/32.png) [@Vestal\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vestal_Blue)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/1 "2001-02-06T20:52:37Z")
I know, I know, there was already a thread on this awhile back. I’m groovin’ to Hearts’ Dreamboat Annie while working. _Happy sigh!_ Ahhhhhh, the classics! Fleetwood Mac Rumours is next… ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/2 "2001-02-06T20:58:20Z")
When I move into a new place, the first ting I puton the stereo is always ‘The Wall’ (Pink Floyd). Other faves: ‘Just Another Band from L.A.’ (Frank Zappa); ‘Lark’s Tongue in Aspic’ (King Crimson); ‘Abbey Road’ (The Beatles); ANYTHING by Steely Dan… the list goes on and on… ---
**Author:** ![Vestal\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5e9695/32.png) [@Vestal\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vestal_Blue)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/3 "2001-02-06T21:07:29Z")
Oh great. Thanks. remind me, why dontcha?! I don’t have my Steely Dan here!!! ---
**Author:** ![idiotboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@idiotboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/idiotboy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/4 "2001-02-06T21:17:54Z")
hands down… **Aphex Twin** - **I Care Because You Do** ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/5 "2001-02-06T21:25:56Z")
Okay, this will take a while: The Beatles: From **Help** to **Let It Be[/b[, it’s all great The Who: My Generation,Tommy,Live at Leeds,Live at the Isle of Wight(it’s been ishued quite recently but it’s among the greats),Who’s Next\*\*\*\*Quadrophenia( don’t let anyone fool you, this one is simply brilliant, the definitive rock opera). I know it’s a lot but what can I do, I’m a fan. Bob Dylan:Highway61 Rvisitedand**Blonde on Blonde\*\* some of the best music he ever did Doors: The first and the last two albums are great. Pink Floyd: **Piper at Gates of Dawn** and **Animals** are both unjustly forgotten and there’s **Dark Side of the Moon** of course Genesis: Both **Foxtrot** and \*\* Selling England by the Pound\*\* are great, some of the best prog one can find. King Crimsom: **In the Court of the Crimson King** their first and best( and most revolutionary, interesting, influential, etc…). Frank Zappa: He’s got to much albums for me to tell you. Can: These are some german guys with a japanese singer and do this krautrock stuff that’s really nice. Anything with Damo Suzuki still in the band. Jimi Hendrix: Well, his debut is pretty amazing. I could say much more but this is a big enough start isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/6 "2001-02-06T21:26:53Z")
_Terrapin Station_ Side B (Not as much Donna) – Dead _American Beauty_ – Dead _Ace_ – Bob Weir (Yeah, I know the Dead backed 'im.) ---
**Author:** ![King\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7bcc69/32.png) [@King\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/7 "2001-02-06T21:28:24Z")
**The Allman Brothers Band** _Live At Fillmore East_ and it’s updated version. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/8 "2001-02-06T22:12:49Z")
Aside from those mentioned, what about the **Velvet Underground** - especially the first with **Nico** , but any of the others too? And **Patti Smith’s** _Horses_? I’m not sure how old an album has to be for “classic” status, but I’d put the **Talking Heads** through _Speaking in Tongues_ on my list too, and **Peter Gabriel’s** early albums (hell, all of them up until whenever they can’t be called classic anymore). And as long as I’m sneaking in albums from the early 80’s, _Murmur_ by **R.E.M.** holds up very nicely, too. ---
**Author:** ![purrplebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@purrplebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purrplebear)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/9 "2001-02-06T23:02:53Z")
I agree with VB’s choices, but I’m afraid I’m lost on the rest. Except for the Beatles, natch. I’m not sure my fave’s would fit in with this bunch, so I’ll just sit over here quietly and read this thread now and then. I might find something to listen to. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/10 "2001-02-06T23:31:45Z")
**pb** – Yanni’s in the next thread over. ---
**Author:** ![Vestal\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5e9695/32.png) [@Vestal\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vestal_Blue)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/11 "2001-02-06T23:59:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by InternetLegend \* > \*\* > > …I’m not sure how old an album has to be for “classic” status… > > \*\* I don’t think it’s an age thing so much as a recognition thing. Some albums are pretty much acknowledged as classics right off the bat, such as the aforementioned Rumours, but also like Tapestry, and Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Summer Breeze, Court & Spark, and many others. A few things I’ve noticed is that they usually are tightly assembled with no dud tracks, and they seem to push the envelope for the particular group or individual artist. They also seem to have one or more tracks that climb the charts and become perennial favourites. An example would be Don MCleans’(sp) American Pie, which contains such classics as the title track, and Vincent. ---
**Author:** ![McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19adc/32.png) [@McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/12 "2001-02-07T00:18:47Z")
1. Revolver - The Beatles 2. Automatic for the People - REM 3. Dark side of the moon - Pink Floyd 4. Bridge over troubled waters - Simon & Garfunkel 5. Nevermind - Nirvana 6. Out of Time - REM 7. The White Album - The Beatles 8. Blood on the tracks - Bob Dylan 9. The River - Bruce Springsteen 10)Are you experienced? - Jimi Hendrix 11)The Bends - Radiohead 12)New Adventures in Hi Fi - REM 13)Up - REM 14)Rumours - Fleetwood Mac 15)Bat out of Hell - Meatloaf 16)The Marshall Mathers LP - Eminem 17)The Contino sessions - Death in Vegas 18)Before the calm - Witess 19)OK Computer - Radiohead 20)The Queen is Dead - The Smiths 21)Forever Changes - Love 22)Blond on Blond - Bob Dylan 23)Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan 24)Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan 25)August and Everything After - Counting Crows 26)Trout Mask Replica - Captain Beefheart 27)Safe as Milk - Captain Beefheart 28)The complete Animals (compilation) - The Animals 29)Odelay - Beck 30)Imagine - John Lennon Plus many hundreds of others I cannot recall at this time. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/13 "2001-02-07T00:48:35Z")
**Rush** - _Moving Pictures_ [/quote] And this one’s off to **IMHO**. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/14 "2001-02-07T01:08:01Z")
Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True & Imperial Bedroom Television - Marquee Moon Pixies - Doolittle The Clash - London Calling Pink Floyd - DSOTM Husker Du - New Day Rising Gang Of Four - Entertainment The Jam - Sound Affects & The Gift XTC - English Settlement & Skylarking The Who - Who’s Next The Mekons - Rock And Roll REM - Murmur David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/15 "2001-02-07T02:21:21Z")
[ol][li]Truth[/li][sup]JEFF BECK[/sup] [li]The Lady and the Unicorn[/li][sup]JOHN RENBOURN[/sup] [li]Get Your Yah Yah’s Out[/li][sup]THE ROLLING STONES[/sup] [li]The Yes Album[/li][sup]YES[/sup] [li]Blues Incorporated[/li][sup]ALEXIS KORNER[/sup] [li]Hat[/li][sup]DAVY GRAHAM[/sup] [li]Rosemary Lane[/li][sup]BERT JANSCH[/sup] [li]Another Monday[/li][sup]JOHN RENBOURN[/sup] [li]Swiss Movement[/li][sup]LES McCANN & EDDIE HARRIS[/sup] [li]Time Out[/li][sup]DAVE BRUBECK[/sup] [li]Eat A Peach[/li][sup]THE ALLMAN BROTHERS[/sup] [li]Children of the Future[/li][sup]STEVE MILLER BAND[/sup] [li]Uncle Meat[/li][sup]FRANK ZAPPA[/sup] [li]Cry of Love[/li][sup]JIMI HENDRIX[/sup] [li]Live Cream Volume II[/li][sup]CREAM[/sup] [li]John Barleycorn Must Die[/li][sup]TRAFFIC[/sup] [li]Band of Gypsies[/li][sup]JIMI HENDRIX[/sup] [li]Johhny Winter and Live[/li][sup]JOHNNY WINTER[/sup] [li]Free Hand[/li][sup]GENTLE GIANT[/sup] [li]Ummagumma[/li][sup]PINK FLOYD[/sup] [li]Cheap Thrills[/li][sup]BIG BROTHER and the HOLDING COMPANY[/sup] [li]Abraxas[/li][sup]SANTANA[/sup] [li]Ah Via Musicom[/li][sup]ERIC JOHNSON[/sup] [li]The Doughnut In Granny’s Greenhouse[/li][sup]THE BONZO DOG DOO DAH BAND[/sup] [li]Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor[/li][sup]HELMUT WALCHA[/sup] [li]The Brandenburg Concertos[/li][sup]MAX GOBERMAN[/sup] [/ol] The list is endless… ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/16 "2001-02-08T02:38:49Z")
In the Court of the Crimson King (and IMHO a shitload of others) - King Crimson Foxtrot - Genesis Fragile - Yes Aqualung - Jethro Tull Who’s Next - The Who Brain Salad Surgery - ELP One Size Fits All - Frank Zappa Time Out - Dave Brubeck White Album - Beatles IV - Led Zeppelin ---- needless to say, I don’t listen to the radio much anymore… ---
**Author:** ![Elkman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Elkman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elkman)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/17 "2001-02-08T06:59:44Z")
My tastes are rather diverse, so my top 10 in the order I thought of them… 1. Boston – Boston 2. Shaking Like A Human Being – Kim Mitchell 3. Sgt. Pepper – The Beatles 4. Highway 61 Revisited – Bob Dylan 5. Kick Out The Jams – MC5 6. New Traditionalists – Devo 7. Back In Black – AC/DC 8. South Of The Border – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass 9. Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen 10. Machine Head – Deep Purple These are in perpetual “heavy rotation” with me. One could make an arguement that they may not fit a strict definition of “classic”, but I believe they are all fairly recognizable (maybe not Kim Mitchell, but trust me, American readers, he is a Canadian rock icon), and in my opinion are solid front to finish. When I load up these in the CD changer, there are absolutely NO tracks that I skip. They are all, IMHO, representative of the best of their respective genre. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/18 "2001-02-08T10:17:49Z")
**Rush** Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures and Exit…Stage left **Deep Purple** Machine Head **Cheap Trick** In Color **Steely Dan** Aja **The Clash** London Calling **The Dead Boys** Young, Loud and Snotty ---
**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:** [February 8, 2001, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/19 "2001-02-08T14:18:59Z")
I’ll stick with one per group: Beatles – White Album Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed The Who – Who Are You Traffic – The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys Grateful Dead – Workingman’s Dead Flash and the Pan – Lights in the Night Pink Floyd – Atom Heart Mother Kinks – Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround Springsteen – The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle Zappa – We’re Only In It For the Money Bonzo Dog Band – Urban Spaceman Siegel Schwall Band – Siegel Schwall Band Eagles – Hotel California Van Morrison – Moondance Jethro Tull – Aqualung Spirit – The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus Allman Brothers Band – Live at Filmore East Derek and the Dominoes – Layla Various artists – Woodstock The Band – The Last Waltz Elton John – Honkey Chateau Hot Tuna – Hot Tuna Robert Johnson – Best of The Best of Busby Berkeley Denver Symphony Orchestra with George Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue. **Zenster** : > [@](#): > > The Doughnut In Granny’s Greenhouse > THE BONZO DOG DOO DAH BAND Wow. All these posts on this board and I finally see someone else has heard of them. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Grok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Grok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grok)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397/20 "2001-02-08T20:10:25Z")
Great stuff listed so far. Here are a few that haven’t appeared yet that are staples of my collection: Van Halen: Van Halen I, Diver Down, 1984 Billy Joel: Turnstiles Bill Kirchen: Hot Rod Lincoln Live Junior Brown: Guit With It Rockapella: Primer Woodstock Movie Soundtrack Brian Setzer Orchestra: The Dirty Boogie Red Elvises: I Wanna See You Bellydance [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-albums/53397.md?page=2)