# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/41 "2017-05-26T17:34:55Z")
Derek and The Dominos: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/42 "2017-05-26T17:41:33Z")
1. Ozzy - Diary of a Madman 2. Metallica - Ride the Lightning 3. Dream Theater - Octavarium 4. Fates Warning - A Pale Shade of Gray 5. Lyle Lovette - Pontiac 6. New Model Army - Thunder and Consolation 7. kd lang - Ingénue 8. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Bela Fleck and the Flecktones 9. Steve Morse - Southern Steel 10. Frank Zappa - Joe’s Garage Acts II & III Some stuff I would list was already taken (Kind of Blue, Moving Pictures, DSOTM, Aja) and if I had to make this list again tomorrow it would change. Diary, A Pale Shade of Gray and Southern Steel would likely always be on the list. Slee ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/43 "2017-05-26T17:52:17Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > . . . 4. Crown of Creation – Jefferson Airplane . . . Good call. My favorite of theirs. ---
**Author:** ![moldmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@moldmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moldmonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/44 "2017-05-26T18:43:20Z")
1. Cowboy Junkies-Trinity Sessions 2. Ministry-The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste 3. Willie Nelson-Greatest Hits and Some That Will Be 4. Miles Davis-Bitches Brew (surprised not to see this one yet) 5. Fugazi-13 Songs 6. Sleaford Mods-English Tapas 7. alt-J-An Awesome Wave 8.The National-Trouble Will Find Me 8. Soundtrack to The Harder They Come 9. War on Drugs-Lost in the Dream ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/45 "2017-05-26T19:34:02Z")
Just for fun, an all-live top ten: The Who, _Live at Leeds_ Joe Cocker, _Mad Dogs and Englishmen_ Allman Brothers Band, _At Fillmore East_ Grateful Dead, _Europe '72_ The Band, _Rock of Ages_ Peter Frampton, _Frampton Comes Alive_ (admittedly there was a quite a lot of studio manipulation) Cheap Trick, _At Budokan_ Talking Heads, _Stop Making Sense_ Hugh Masakela, _Hope_ King Crimson, _Electrik_ ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/46 "2017-05-26T23:26:56Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Just for fun, an all-live top ten: May I throw in Dire Straits “Alchemy”? ---
**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/47 "2017-05-27T00:25:20Z")
Most of the old stuff was already taken. If my favorite album by a band was already chosen, I didn’t pick them. In no particular order: _ **The Bends** _, Radiohead _ **Dig Me Out** _, Sleater-Kinney _ **Chutes Too Narrow** _, The Shins _ **Whatever** _, Aimee Mann _ **Remain in Light** _, Talking Heads _ **Manners** _, Passion Pit _ **Electric Version** _, The New Pornographers _ **Good Kid, M.A.A.D City** _, Kendrick Lamar _ **Hamilton** _, Original Broadway Cast _ **Sound of Silver** _, LCD Soundsystem ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/48 "2017-05-27T01:00:26Z")
Laura Nyro; _Eli and the Thirteenth Confession_ John Fahey; _The Legend of Blind Joe Death_ Jefferson Airplane; _After Bathing at Baxter’s_ The Band; _Music from Big Pink_ The Grateful Dead; _Dick’s Picks No. 15_ (Live show, Englishtown, NJ, Sept 1977) Big Star; _#1 Record_ Brian Eno; _Before and After Science_ Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie; _Live at Town Hall, NY, 1945_ Miles Davis Nonet; _The Birth of the Cool_ Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson; _Live at Town Hall, Chicago, 1957_ ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2017, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/49 "2017-05-27T01:01:52Z")
I made up a list, then found about half the albums were already listed by other posters so I had to rewrite it. [ol] [li]Eels - electroshock blues[/li][li]Smashing pumpkins - Siamese Dream[/li][li]Atmosphere - when life gives you lemons you paint that shit gold[/li][li]Harry Chapin - Story of a life[/li][li]Ice Cube - Bootlegs and B sides[/li][li]Sixx AM - the Heroin diaries[/li][li]Garbage - version 2.0[/li][li]Lil Dicky - professional rapper[/li][li]Meat Loaf - bat out of hell II[/li][li]The Offspring - rise and fall, rage and grace[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/50 "2017-05-30T17:17:44Z")
Doing my best to avoid albums already mentioned by others: Jelly Roll Morton, _The Complete Library of Congress Recordings_ Beatles, _Magical Mystery Tour_ Pink Floyd, _Wish You Were Here_ Electric Light Orchestra, _A New World Record_ Alan Parsons Project, _Eye in the Sky_ Asia, _Alpha_ Styx, _Pieces of Eight_ Genesis, _Genesis_ James Horner, \*Glory \*(movie soundtrack) John Williams, \*Lincoln \*(movie soundtrack) But there were a lot mentioned earlier that I love. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/51 "2017-05-30T17:37:58Z")
I hope I’m not threadshitting, but seriously, after reading everyone else’s lists, I was hard pressed to pick 10 whole albums I considered “Essential.” Maybe Bad Company’s _10 for 6_. Something from The Eagles, probably a _Greatest Hits_ compilation, maybe _Hotel California_; though I’m more partial to _Desperado_ myself, I wouldn’t classify it as Essential. Pink Floyd’s been mentioned, and my two candidates for Essential (_Dark Side of the Moon_, _The Wall_) have already been nabbed; _Animals_ is also quite good, but again, not sure if it’s rising to the level of Essential. …yup, I’m tapped. ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/52 "2017-05-30T18:03:07Z")
Tom Waits - Heart of Saturday Night Rolling Stones - Let it Bleed Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks U2 - War ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/53 "2017-05-30T21:14:59Z")
Close to the edge – Yes Here I Am – Dionne Warwick Trouble Man Sound track – Marvin gaye The Left banke Village Green Preservation Society – Kinks Swordfishtrombones – Tom Waits Countdown to Ecstasy – Steely Dan Hejira – Joni Mitchell Music from Big Pink – The Band Songs of Leonard Cohen Bringing it all back home – Bob Dylan ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/54 "2017-05-30T21:27:07Z")
What? No love for _ **Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs** _? ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/55 "2017-05-30T23:07:19Z")
Van Morrison: Moondance Ray Charles: The Birth of Soul (if compilations are permissible) The Who: Tommy ---
**Author:** ![nachtmusick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@nachtmusick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nachtmusick)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/56 "2017-05-31T13:56:53Z")
Filling in around the corners, and trying not to pick more albums by artists already mentioned… Sublime - _Sublime_ Red Hot Chili Peppers - _Blood Sugar Sex Magic_ Cranberries -\* Everybody Else is Doing it so Why Can’t We?\* Neko Case - _Fox Confessor Brings the Flood_ Kate Bush - _Hounds of Love_ Bob Marley - _Legend_ Lynyrd Skynyrd - _Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd_ Flaming Lips - _Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots_ Green Day - _American Idiot_ (Somebody else mentioned Dookie, but this is an essential album) Liz Phair - _Exile in Guyville_ ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/57 "2017-05-31T16:41:56Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > What? No love for _ **Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs** _? Named in Post 41. 1. “Random Access Memories,” Daft Punk 2. “Odelay!”, Beck 3. “Vs.,” Pearl Jam 4. “Whitney Houston,” by, well, you can guess 5. “Like A Virgin,” Madonna 6. “Sports,” Huey Lewis and the News 7. “Red,” Taylor Swift 8. “Christopher Cross,” by, again, you can guess ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/58 "2017-05-31T22:55:41Z")
I have just one to add to the growing list, Little Feat - Waiting for Columbus. IMHO, this is the tightest live rock album ever made. Yes, there are solos and variations on the recorded versions of these songs, but they work. Perfectly. Creativity plus restraint. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/59 "2017-06-01T01:31:04Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > I have just one to add to the growing list, > > Little Feat - Waiting for Columbus. > > IMHO, this is the tightest live rock album ever made. Yes, there are solos and variations on the recorded versions of these songs, but they work. Perfectly. Creativity plus restraint. Love Little Feat. I was about to add them. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432/60 "2017-06-01T02:25:29Z")
These lists are pretty impressive, they’re mostly things I would have picked. 😃 But no comedy or spoken word … I can fix that. In no particular order … Lenny Bruce --\* America / The Sick Humor of Lenny Bruce\* Bill Hicks – _Rant in E Minor_ National Lampoon –_Radio Dinner_ Bill Cosby – _To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With_ Mel Brooks & Carl Reiner – _The 2000 Year Old Man_ Firesign Theater – _Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers_ Bob Newhart – _The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart_ Anything by George Carlin Everything by Richard Pryor Mike Nichols and Elaine May _An Evening With Nichols and May_ And for extra credit … Lord Buckley – _The Best Of Lord Buckley_ And when the kids are out of the room: (NOT SAFE FOR WORK AND POSSIBLY NOT FOR YOUR HOME) Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts – _Nuts To You_ Any party album by Red Foxx [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/sAgc61VzLNE/hqdefault.jpg "Redd Foxx 28 Minutes Of Bullshit") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAgc61VzLNE) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-essential-album-list/787432.md?page=4)