# The most revolutionary albums in rock history

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-revolutionary-albums-in-rock-history/542285>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 7, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-revolutionary-albums-in-rock-history/542285 "2010-06-07T16:08:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-revolutionary-albums-in-rock-history/542285/81 "2010-06-10T18:07:01Z")

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Nesmith beat _Sweetheart of the Rodeo_ to it on numerous country-rock songs he penned for the Monkees, however.

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**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-revolutionary-albums-in-rock-history/542285/82 "2010-06-10T19:03:02Z")

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> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#):
>
> _Paul’s Boutique_ by the Beastie Boys

Why are you picking Paul’s Boutique over Licensed to Ill?

Just curious, thanks.

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-revolutionary-albums-in-rock-history/542285/83 "2010-06-10T19:12:23Z")

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> [@tr0psn4j](#):
>
> Why are you picking Paul’s Boutique over Licensed to Ill?
> 
> Just curious, thanks.

License to Ill was huge because it combined rap with sampled hard rock to achieve commercial success, similar to Run-DMC’s Kings of Rock. But Paul’s Boutique was a complete shift in direction - many more layers of production, subtle beats and complex songs and rhymes. It’s like they went from “I Want to Rock and Roll all Night” like KISS to, I dunno, Exile on Main Street - I didn’t know the Beastie’s had it in 'em before that point - and PB was a huge influence on rap/hip hop and other alt musicians like Beck…

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**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-revolutionary-albums-in-rock-history/542285/84 "2010-06-10T19:24:17Z")

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> [@Rrose\_Selavy](#):
>
> I’ll put in a word in for :  
> 1981 : My Life in the Bush of Ghosts - Byrne/Eno
> 
> [My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (album) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Life_in_the_Bush_of_Ghosts_(album))

Great album, and one of the first to build songs around samples in an accessible way. A few others had done it before, but the Byrne/Eno connection made it golden.

XTC’s English Settlement was another album I couldn’t get enough of in the early '80s. I’m still struck by how perfect it is.

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