# The SDMB Essential Album List **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 25, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432 "2017-05-25T18:52:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/1 "2017-05-25T18:52:05Z")
Some person had somehow made it to adulthood without ever hearing any music. How this happened no one can explain, but it did. Now they’ve heard a few songs and are all like “holy moly this music stuff is the shit, what should I listen to first?” and you’re all like “lol dood that’s a big ask.” Well, it is, right? I mean, to truly have a grasp of the history of popular music since Bill Haley and the Comets, you’re gonna have to list a LOT of albums. So let’s try, shall we? 1. Please list ten albums you think are great albums, landmark albums, albums you think a person with unlimited time would have to listen to. 2. Your list of ten albums may not include any two albums by the same artist (e.g. you can’t name two Beatles albums) or even corresponding artists (so you can’t name a Beatles album and a John Lennon album.) 3. Please make an effort to not name any album somene else has named. Of course, there will be posts made at the same time and eventually thsi thread might be too long to avoid making an error, but do your best. 4. It’s not a competition. You don’t have to name the ten best albums yet unmentioned. Just name ten and let’s fill in the gaps. I will start. 1. “Automatic for the People,” REM 2. “Innervisions,” Stevie Wonder 3. “Crime of the Century,” Supertramp 4. “Fully Completely,” The Tragically Hip 5. “1984,” Van Halen 6. “Dark Side of the Moon,” Pink Floyd 7. “Ill Communication,” Beastie Boys 8. “Tapestry,” Carole King 9. “Fear Of A Black Planet,” Public Enemy 10. “Led Zeppelin IV,” Led Zeppelin ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/2 "2017-05-25T19:05:06Z")
In no particular order 1. _Little Creatures,_ \*\*Taking Heads 2. _The Sounds of Silence_, Simon and Garfunkel 3. _Violent Femmes_, Violent Femmes 4. _Blonde on Blonde_, Bob Dylan 5. _Who’s Next_, The Who That’s as far as I got, gotta run. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/3 "2017-05-25T19:11:11Z")
1. Yes-The Yes Album 2. Genesis-Selling England by the Pound 3. ELP-Brain Salad Surgery 4. Beach Boys-Pet Sounds 5. Rolling Stones-Aftermath (UK) 6. Beatles-Revolver 7. Kinks-Village Green Preservation society 8. Jimi Hendrix-Are You Experienced? 9. Moody Blues-Days of Future Passed 10. Rush-2112 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/4 "2017-05-25T19:57:03Z")
I’m a child of the 60s, but a few that are later: _Blue_, Joni Mitchel _Sgt Pepper_, Beatles _Tunnel of Love_, Springsteen _The Times They are A-Changing_, Dylan _A1A_, Jimmy Buffet _Volunteers_, Jefferson Airplane _John Prine_, John Prine _The Wall_, Pink Floyd _The Doors_, The Doors _Into the Wild Soundtrack_, Eddie Vedder That last one has been my ear worm, in a good way, for the last couple months. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/5 "2017-05-25T20:07:45Z")
“Popular music”, eh? Saturday Night Fever soundtrack Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell Michael Jackson - Thriller Harry Chapin - Greatest Stories Live Indigo Girls - Rites of Passage Blondie - Parallel Lines John Denver - Back Home Again Fleetwood Mac - Rumours ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/6 "2017-05-25T20:18:37Z")
In no particular order: 1.) Life’s Rich Pageant- REM 2) U2-Joshua Tree 3) Led Zeppelin- II 4) Van Halen- Diver Down 5) Tubular Bells- Mike Oldfield 6) Enya- Watermark 7) The Chieftains- Bells of Dublin 8) Rush- Moving Pictures 9) Dire Straits- Money for Nothing 10) Pearl Jam- 10 ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/7 "2017-05-25T20:28:49Z")
Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsies Radiohead - Ok Computer Replacements - Let it be Nirvana - Nevermind Billy Joel - The Stranger Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense Elvis Costello - My Aim is True Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St Van Morrison - Astral Weeks Bob Marley - Greatest Hits I don’t think there are any that were already mentioned… ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/8 "2017-05-25T21:04:26Z")
Appetite for Destruction - Guns ‘N’ Roses Rust in Peace - Megadeth 3 Feet High & Rising - De La Soul (this album they essentially invented the “hip-hop skit”) Liquid Swords - GZA Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik - Outkast Complete Discography - Minor Threat (“Complete Discography” is the name of the album and contains, well, their complete discography) Pure Rock Fury - Clutch Damaged - Black Flag Hide Away - Freddie King Black Magic - Magic Sam ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/9 "2017-05-25T21:13:49Z")
1. Rush - Moving Pictures 2. Queen - A Night at the Opera 3. Cowboy Mouth - Are You With Me? 4. Police - Zenyatta Mondatta 5. Alanis Morrisette - Jagged Little Pill 6. The Pretenders - The Singles 7. The Beatles - 1962-1966 8. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - Album 9. Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Let’s Face It 10. U2 - The Joshua Tree ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/10 "2017-05-25T21:27:20Z")
I’ll try my best to avoid albums that have been already mentioned. In no particular order: 1. _Sticky Fingers_ - The Rolling Stones 2. _Murmur_ - REM 3. _Abbey Road_ - The Beatles 4. _Highway 61 Revisited_ - Bob Dylan 5. _Paul’s Boutique_ - Beastie Boys 6. \*London Calling \*- The Clash 7. _What’s Going On_ - Marvin Gaye 8. \*The Velvet Underground & Nico \*- The Velvet Underground 9. \*At Folsom Prison \*- Johnny Cash 10. \*Born to Run \*- Bruce Springsteen ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/11 "2017-05-25T21:40:52Z")
Limiting me to one per artist is a killer 🙂 [del]_What’s Going On_[/del] _Let’s Get It On_ - Marvin Gaye - Let’s go with my second choice, then _The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill_ - Lauryn Hill _Super Fly (Soundtrack)_ - Curtis Mayfield _All Eyez on Me_ - Tupac _Sign ‘o’ the Times_ - Prince _Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club_ - Sam Cooke _It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back_ - Public Enemy _The Soul Sessions_ - Joss Stone _Straight Outta Compton_ - NWA _What You Hear Is What You Get (Live At Carnegie Hall)_ - Ike and Tina Turner ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/12 "2017-05-25T21:54:08Z")
Trying to avoid previous picks The Stooges - The Stooges Suicide - Suicide Television - Marquee Moon Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express Simple Minds - Empires and Dance The Cocteau Twins - Treasure Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works The Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation Goldie - Timeless Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/13 "2017-05-25T22:17:39Z")
Boston’s first album Temple of the Dog Gradually Going Tornado- Bill Bruford And Out Come the Wolves- Rancid Aja- Steely Dan Cheap Trick’s Greatest Hits Wish You Were Here- The Pink Floyd American Recording- Johnny Cash Live at Carnegie Hall- Stevie Ray Vaughn Hollywood Town Hall- The Jayhawks ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/14 "2017-05-25T22:29:08Z")
Essential albums: Cheap Thrills - Big Brother and the Holding Company The River - Bruce Springsteen Beggar’s Banquet - Rolling Stones Live at the Fillmore East - Allman Brothers Surrealistic Pillow - Jefferson Airplane Purple Rain - Prince Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac Aqualung - Jethro Tull Live At Carnegie Hall - Renaissance Parallel Lines - Blondie ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/15 "2017-05-25T22:44:36Z")
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust Sting -Ten Summoner’s Tales Grateful Dead - American Rose Eric Clapton - Unplugged Santana - Supernatural Imagine Dragons - Night Visions ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/16 "2017-05-25T22:55:07Z")
the op said this person has never heard ANY music; so assuming he’s american he should have: _Don Giovanni_ - Mozart performed by the Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra, conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini _ShowBoat_ - Soundtrack from 1936 film _Ne Me Quitte Pas_ - Jacques Brel _Library of Congress Recording Sessions_ - Woody Guthrie \*My Clinch Mountain Home \*- The Carter Family _Crossroad blues_ - Robert Johnson (any album with this song) _Run DMC_ - Run DMC _Jazz Samba_ - Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd _The Atomic Mr. Bassie_ - Count Bassie Orchestra _Buena Vista Social Club_ - Juan de Marcos González I didnt put any rock in my list as there are many good choices by others, but. . . _Marquee Moon_ - Television _London Calling_ - The Clash mc ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/17 "2017-05-25T23:07:07Z")
Strictly metal. Opeth, _Blackwater Park_ Porcupine Tree, _Deadwing_ Queensrÿche, _Operation: Mindcrime_ Dream Theater, _Images and Words_ Fates Warning, _Disconnected_ Celtic Frost, _Into the Pandemonium_ Bathory, _Hammerheart_ Godflesh, _Pure_ Nine Inch Nails, _The Downward Spiral_ Edge of Sanity, _Crimson_ ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/18 "2017-05-25T23:24:43Z")
1. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation 2. Kyuss - Blues For the Red Sun 3. Napalm Death - Scum 4. Run-DMC - Run-DMC 5. Mogwai - Young Team 6. Pixies - Doolittle 7. Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet 8. Metallica - Master of Puppets 9. Godflesh - Streetcleaner 10. Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/19 "2017-05-25T23:33:49Z")
Emmylou Harris Elite Hotel Emmylou Harris Luxury Liner Jim Croce Life and Times Gordon Lightfoot Gord’s Gold Merle Haggard Okie from Muskogee (live album) Bread Anthology CCR Green River CCR Willie & the Poor Boys Bob Seger Live Bullet ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/20 "2017-05-25T23:38:20Z")
snip > [@Gatopescado](#): > > Gradually Going Tornado- Bill Bruford snip Thank You Thank You Thank You! I heard this album in the mid 80s and I couldn’t ever remember the name! I’ve already ordered it on Amazon. I was always looking for Crazy like a tornado and never found anything. BTW, some stellar choices overall in this thread. and ones I’m quite frankly jealous that I didn’t think of. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432.md?page=2)