# What do you consider to be the Greatest Albums of All Time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 5, 2013, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392 "2013-02-05T15:52:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/81 "2013-02-07T20:32:14Z")
> [@](#): > > So, let’s up the ante a little bit: can you name a Great Album that you don’t personally like? There’s probably a few. I really can’t get that into Bob Dylan or Husker Du, but I recognize both have contributed greatly to music. The latter, especially, is an artist I should love, given my tastes, but for some reason has never clicked with me. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/82 "2013-02-07T20:52:22Z")
I have to add **Rites of Passage** by Indigo Girls as a best of its genre. And **Bat Out of Hell**. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/83 "2013-02-07T20:55:52Z")
Most of my absolute favorites (Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, The Pogues, The Who) have been mentioned, so I’ll fill in with others: Charles Mingus - _Mingus Ah-Um_ Tori Amos – _Little Earthquakes_ Concrete Blonde – _Bloodletting_ The Rolling Stones – _Beggars Banquet_ Jimi Hendrix – _Electric Ladyland_ Miles Davis – _1958 Miles_ _Duke Ellington and John Coltrane_ (surprisingly panned by many; I disagree) Bill Evans – _Conversations with Myself_ Muddy Waters – _Hard Again_ Nirvana – _In Utero_ “Great” album that I don’t particularly like? This is going to get me shelled, but I was working at Borders when the long-awaited \*Brian Wilson’s Smile \*came out. I think I’ll just stop there. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/84 "2013-02-07T21:01:12Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > There’s probably a few. I really can’t get that into Bob Dylan or Husker Du, but I recognize both have contributed greatly to music. The latter, especially, is an artist I should love, given my tastes, but for some reason has never clicked with me. I think I tried to return Husker Du’s _New Day Rising_, thinking there had to be something wrong with the CD for it to sound like that. Different strokes, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/85 "2013-02-07T21:40:09Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > I think I tried to return Husker Du’s _New Day Rising_, thinking there had to be something wrong with the CD for it to sound like that. Different strokes, I guess. I think “Warehouse” might be considered the gateway album. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![born\_too\_late](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba9def/32.png) [@born\_too\_late](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/born_too_late)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/86 "2013-02-07T21:45:51Z")
To be a ‘Greatest of All Time,’ I would have to stipulate that every song on the album be something that I wouldn’t want to skip over on the player, and that the album as a whole represents the pinnacle of the genre (best production and songwriting quality), and/or that it transcends the conventions of the time it was produced. The Zombies Odessey and Oracle mentioned above is a stellar example, as is Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless. Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas The Cure - Disintegration Elbow - Leaders of the Free World Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend Ministry - The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News New Order - Low-Life Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix They Might Be Giants - Flood XTC - Oranges and Lemons ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/87 "2013-02-07T21:53:33Z")
I see it’s already been mentioned twice already in this thread, but I want to 3rd\*\* Bat Out of Hell.\*\* A truly phenomenal album from start to finish, that really isn’t dated and continues to sell well year after year. Timeless masterpiece IMHO, but I can also see why people might HATE it. It’s kind of a parody, it’s kind of a knock-off, and it didn’t redefine music as we know it… but, anyhow… I love it! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/88 "2013-02-07T21:57:31Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > I think I tried to return Husker Du’s _New Day Rising_, thinking there had to be something wrong with the CD for it to sound like that. Different strokes, I guess. To be fair, the first few times I heard Loveless, I just thought I had a bad rip. (This was back in the early days of Napster when I was a little more cavalier about just downloading pirated music.) The first two times I downloaded the album, I thought I got one of these screwed-up, fake “anti-piracy” versions, because it sounded like something dubbed from a cassette tape that was speeding up and slowing down and thus ebbing in and out of tune. It wasn’t until my third download that I realized it was only the guitars easing in and out of tune, and the vocals and everything else were on pitch, and that this is exactly what the album was supposed to sound like. My ears are quite accustomed to that Kevin Shields whammy bar detuning thing now, but I literally thought something was wrong with my copy the first few times I listened to it. Now, it’s my favorite album. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/89 "2013-02-07T22:01:25Z")
Many of my picks have already been posted, but I didn’t see this: Sonic Youth _Daydream Nation_. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/90 "2013-02-07T22:09:43Z")
1. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead 2. The Clash - London Calling 3. Radiohead- OK Computer 4. Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes 5. Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Honorable Mention: Beastie Boys - License to Ill ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/91 "2013-02-07T22:55:43Z")
Lot of good ones already mentioned Illmatic- Nas The Low End Theory- A Tribe Called Quest white album- Beatles ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/92 "2013-02-08T02:50:36Z")
> [@Wolf333](#): > > Many of my picks have already been posted, but I didn’t see this: > > Sonic Youth _Daydream Nation_. “Thurston! Watt! Thurston! I think it’s 10:30.” Totally agree. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/93 "2013-02-08T02:53:34Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > Miles Davis – _1958 Miles_ I can totally get behind this. Miles Davis sextet fully representing. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/94 "2013-02-08T03:35:01Z")
Glad to see some of my faves already llsted: _Tapestry_, Carole King; _Graceland_, Paul Simon (best concert I have ever seen); _Jesus Christ Superstar_. I gotta throw in two more: _Me And Bobbi McGee_, Kris Kristofferson _Living In Clip_, ani difranco And there’s nothing wrong with “Hotel California”, it’s just overplayed. I’m willing give the Eagles a pass on that one since they gave us “Witchy Woman” and “Seven Bridges Road”. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/95 "2013-02-08T03:45:51Z")
A lot of great albums are being named here. I could throw out my own top ten and come up with another ten I’d be very happy with: > [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > The answer is _Kind of Blue_ by Miles Davis. > [@Jimbabweosu](#): > > Paul Simon. > -Graceland. It gave me chills the first time I heard it, and it still does. It’s not a cliche- it is hauntingly beautiful. Argueably one of the top five albums of all time. Brilliant wrting, brilliant arranging, brilliant collaboration. > [@RickJay](#): > > “Songs in the Key of Life,” Stevie Wonder > [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Nirvana - Nevermind > [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > _Revolver_ - The Beatles > […] > _Paul’s Boutique_ - Beastie Boys > [@Mixolydian](#): > > Junior Wells - _Hoodoo Man Blues_ > [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > Saxophone Colossus - Sonny Rollins > [@gladtobeblazed](#): > > Radiohead - OK Computer > [@StusBlues](#): > > Jimi Hendrix – _Electric Ladyland_ ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/96 "2013-02-08T03:57:05Z")
> [@Jimbabweosu](#): > > Good stuff guys! > OK, some more from me: > > AC/DC > -Back in Black. It could have been soooooo bad, instead they came out swinging and swinging hard. Every track hit its mark and HARD. > > Van Halen > -1984. The last of the original, and the best. The singles from it were amazing, and all huge hits in their own right, but I honestly think that the unreleased tracks are at least as good or even better. Top Jimmy, Drop Dead Legs… better than the title track. > > Michael Jackson > -Thriller. OK, not my genre of music at all, but I can admit that it was an amazing pop album. He and Quincy had figured it all out, and every track is as polished and catchy as the others. > > Pink Floyd. > -The Wall. Great tracks, all of them. Run Like Hell, Another Brick in the Wall are great singles. But if you’ve never sat down and listened, really listened to the entire album, in order, you really need to- such powerfully sad story of descent into madness. Roger Waters’ genius shines on here. > > Paul Simon. > -Graceland. It gave me chills the first time I heard it, and it still does. It’s not a cliche- it is hauntingly beautiful. Argueably one of the top five albums of all time. Brilliant wrting, brilliant arranging, brilliant collaboration. > > Prince and the Revolution. > -Purple Rain. Agian, not my preferred genre, but there isn’t a track on the whole album that isn’t working. Prince was at his weird best here. Yep what he said, you sir are a genius. Well only because I agree with your choices. The 6 albums you have mentioned are the ones i have had on high rotation for many years, owning them on LP, CD and cassette tape and now MP3. The only other album that is worth a mention would be “Bat out of Hell”. A great pop/rock fusion rock opera album. But for best album I would stick with Dark Side of the Moon, personally this was when I understood rock’s full potential. It was released I think in 1973 and I would have heard it in 74 when I was 8. I remember hearing it on CD for the first time, on quadraphonic for the first time, live for the first time, on $50,0000 speakers for the first time, on B&O headphones for the first time. It really is one of those albums that continues to impress me and show me new things. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/97 "2013-02-08T05:01:42Z")
I would also like to add \* Duke Ellington live at Newport \*. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/98 "2013-02-08T05:08:46Z")
This may not count because it’s not by one artist but Quincy Jones’s **Back on the Block**. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/99 "2013-02-08T05:09:13Z")
There’s really not an album here I wouldn’t love to listen to tomorrow on my way to work. Did anyone mention “Out of Time” by REM? Well, I just did. Also “Vitalogy” by Pearl Jam, “She’s So Unusual” by Cyndi Lauper, and “Speakerboxx/The Love Below” by OutKast. “Road Apples” by the Tragically Hip is a delight. And “Toys in the Attic” by Aerosmith. ---
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392/100 "2013-02-08T05:57:16Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > _Rumours_ was great. Still listen to it all the time. > > I’ll probably get a lot of groans for this one, but _Bat Out of Hell_ is a longtime fav. Not a bad song on it, and I think it was a fairly unique blend of 50’s rock with 70’s rock/pop. Bat out of Hell is what I came to mention. I overplayed it when I first got into it, but for all it’s dorkiness, I think it’s great. I’m not a huge metal guy anymore, but Scorpions Animal Magnetism and Black Sabbath’s Heaven & Hell are killers, although each one has one side of complete awesomeness and the other what struck me as filler. I’m curious: why no love for Led Zeppelin IV? You’ve probably heard of a few songs on it. This is a great thread; I’m already surfing around (YouTube & Grooveshark) to listen to the albums I’m not so familiar with. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-albums-of-all-time/649392.md?page=6)