I had a hard time deciding between Layla and Disraeli Gears to represent my Eric Clapton vote. I think that Layla is one of the most underrated and under appreciated albums of all time. It is in my CD player at least once a week.
I agree whole-heartedly that “Harvest” is a great album, I just think it lacks the crunch that the OP is looking for - it’s a little too Nashville in that regard. That’s why I picked RNS. “Decade” certainly works, too.
Queen’s Flash Gordon soundtrack.
Yep, plnnr, we’re singin’ from the same hymnal.
Twickster, Who Are You is my daughter’s absolute favorite song. Whenever it comes on she’ll bolt up and start dancing. If it doesn’t come on by itself, she’ll ask for “The Who Song” and she and daddy’ll both dance.
She’s four and a half.
Cheap Trick- Live at Budokan
(btw, gaucho – are you a UCSB student/alum? TwoTrouts and I both went there in the '70s.)
Gotta throw in a vote for the old school here:
Chuck Berry - Chuck Berry is on Top
Sounds like fun -
The Who - Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
Ramones - Road to Ruin
Metallica - Kill 'Em All
The Clash - The Clash
Nashville Pussy - Let Them Eat Pussy
This is way too big a topic to name just five so I am going to start by listing my favorites for the period of early rock (~1954 to the Present):
[ul]
[li]Elvis Presley - The Sun Sessions[/li][li]Chuck Berry - The Great Twenty Eight[/li][li]Ray Charles - Man & His Soul[/li][li]Fats Domino - Greatest Hits on United Artists[/li][li]Million Dollar Quartet - while there isn’t a lot of music and it’s pretty crude, the presence of Presley, Cash, Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis together is an incredible collection of talent. [/li][/ul]
Also note that my references are to actual LP’s that I’m sure are no longer available except for the last listing which constitutes some 4 known songs.
Sam Phillips sold Presley’s contract because, in part, he saw limited resources to simultaneously nurture Presley, Cash and Perkins and at the time Presley had the most value. Don’t forget that Roy Orbison was also waiting in the wings at Sun Records.
Hey Twickster, it’s been way too long. I’m right there with you on three of your five. For pure rock exhilaration, you can’t beat:
1. The Who - Live at Leeds. You must hear the two disc Deluxe Edition which restores the complete concert including Tommy in its entirety with the most amazing sound quality you’ll ever hear. This is my definition of rock at its best.
2. The Who - Who’s Next. Again, if you don’t already have it, run to get the two disc Deluxe Edition which contains on disc 1, the original album in best ever sound, followed by six tracks from an earlier recording session - the sound is great and it’s really cool to hear different takes on these familiar songs. Disc 2 gives you a complete live performance recorded during the time they were making Who’s Next. The book that comes with this package gives a complete history of the whole period. This is the definitive release. I should add here that commercial radio totally burned me out on the Who from the 70’s to the 90’s and it was these Deluxe Editions that freed me to finally appreciate this music again.
3. Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers. This is almost a toss-up with Let It Bleed but I’ll go with you on this one. Do you remember the vinyl single of “Brown Sugar” with “Bitch” on the other side? Ahh the good old days.
4. Allman Brothers Band - Live at the Fillmore. Another slice of pure rock at its finest. The twin guitar attack of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts has only ever been equalled by the current Allman’s lineup of Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks. The current Allman Brothers Band has a number of recent concert recordings available for sale at their website, and they are amazingly on par with Live at the Fillmore.
5. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run. It’s hard to pick a single best Springsteen record, but this album was perfection in its entirety. Last year WXPN in Philadelphia polled their listenership to compile the 885 greatest songs of all time, and “Thunder Road” came in at #1 for good reason. Get ready for a 30th anniversary (yikes, 30 years!) reissue coming this summer which will blow the doors off. I have it on good authority that it will contain not one but two bonus dvds; one with a complete concert recorded in 1975 at the time Born to Run was released and a second dvd with the usual making-of documentaries, interviews, and so forth.
It’s a good thing we’re only choosing five because I could go on all day. We didn’t even get to Cream, Led Zeppelin (why did the British bands have such a lock on great rock music?), Creedence Clearwater Revival, etc.
P.S. I think the Beatles had it covered both ways, excelling at both rock and pop, their music representing a synthesis of both.
No, I’m not. Is your sports team “The Gauchos”?
heh
Yup.
The Who were not my first concert, but I was 16 when I first saw them, in 1970, at Mammoth Gardens here in Denver, and I got to shake hands with Pete Townshend.
Like Gaffer, my list could be 5 different choices tomorrow (except for Rust Never Sleeps; I think that one is permanent).
Five “Play This Record Loud” Faves (no particular order):
Let It Bleed - Stones
Rust Never Sleeps - Neil Young
De Stijl - White Stripes
Californication Red Hot Chili Peppers
Live At Leeds The Who
I dunno, I debated listing them, but oddly enough, even though “This Year’s Model” is softer, relatively speaking, than “Black Sabbath”, their debut album is loud enough as it is and thus doesnt benefit as much from turning the music way up on a country drive (I’ll take shouting along full volume to “No Action” versus “The Wizard” and day.)
We’re Only In It For The Money - Zappa & The Mothers of Invention
Black Sabbath - Volume 4
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
Radiohead - OK Computer
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Hey, John, we know your aversion to all things Floydian 
– it’s just that, “Nile Song” and “Dirty Woman” aside – Pink Floyd don’t rock as much as the aforementioned bands. They are certainly, just for The Wall alone, the best musicians ever to set foot on the planet.
Okay, in my inebriatd state I totally forgot to address that last post as “Not now, John”, rather than “Hey, John” 
John Mayall - Turning Point, tops the list because “Room to Move” is the best rock 'n roll song, ever.
Doors - L.A. Woman
Led Zepplin II
Jethro Tull - Stand Up
Janis Joplin - Cheap Thrills
Hey Watcher! I think of you every time I see a waffle – which isn’t all that often, come to think of it. Good to see you.
I see your point on Springsteen – but would go with RealityChuck’s choice of The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle. And I’ll check out your Allman Bros. recommendations – because it’s hard to believe anything could be as good as that album.
koeeoaddi – good call on the John Mayall. I haven’t thought of that song in years.
Caprese – had to one-up me, didn’t you? I’m in awe. Let me touch the monitor that holds the words typed by the hand that 35 years ago touched the hand of the man who wrote what is by the preponderance of the votes the best rock album ever. 
And gaucho – yup, UCSB is the home of the Gauchos. Not as cool as Santa Cruz’s Banana Slugs or Irvine’s Anteaters, but it’s what we’re stuck with.
Frampton Comes Alive - Peter Frampton
Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent
Van Halen - Van Halen
Deep Purple - Made In Japan
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
All these responses and no one’s voted for Deep Purple - Machine Head?
Nobody gonna take my car
I’m gonna race it to the ground
Nobody gonna beat my car
It’s gonna break the speed of sound
Oh it’s a killing machine
It’s got everything
Like a driving power
Big fat tyres and everything
I love it and I need it, I bleed it
Yeah it’s a wild hurricane
Alright hold tight, I’m a highway star
It’s even about driving!
One of my favorite memories is when one of my best friends and I bumped hands when both trying to turn up the the car stereo for Amazing Journey/Sparks off Live at Leeds, about 6:15 in, I think, if anyone cares.
I have to make mention of Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, a personal assortment of Social Distortion, George Thorogood, and my obscure classic, Crucified - Pillars of Humanity