This is such a difficult question for me. My first instinct is to say Pet Sounds, but that really doesn’t say rock like a lot of other albums in this thread. My number two record of all time, My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, might be a bit too abstract to put at number one for best rock album. Odyssey and Oracle, already mentioned, is another one of my all time favorites, but it’s not quite the quintessence of rock to me. If a troupe of aliens came down and asked me what rock music was, that’s not the record I would throw on.
London Calling is a bit closer to the feel I’m going for. But, personally, I think I’d nominate Led Zeppelin and, while it’s difficult to pick from all their great albums, I’m going to nominate Led Zeppelin II although, quite honestly, any album from I to Physical Graffiti would do.
Agreed, what is with some of the people in this thread?
That said, I hope I don’t add myself to that list by saying that you can’t go wrong with Zeppelin. I also wanted to be the first to mention Queen, but I see that I’ve been barely beaten on preview.
A bunch of titles jumped to mind when I saw the thread title: Pet Sounds, Zeppelin IV, The White Album, London Calling, Doolittle. (Dark Side of the Moon is great, but I don’t consider it a “rock” album.)
After a moment’s reflection, though, there’s only one answer.
And now, at this moment, I’m tempted to just say it’s Tago Mago by Can, and pack it in. That album compensates for–and makes irrelevant–all the bloat of the early 1970s.
Led Zep “Physical Graffiti”
Led Zep “IV”
Pink Floyd “Dark Side of the Moon”
Beatles “Revolver”
Pearl Jam “Ten”
In that order. I know I’ll lose a lot of folks with the Pearl Jam choice but I really think time will bear this out. That album defined an era just like the previous 4 did.
Born to Run. I have argued that Born to Run is the Great American Surf Record that Brian Wilson wanted to make with Smile. The album is an anthem to America in the 1970s and sums up what we all thought that we were when we were in high school.
By the stats, I’d say that Dark Side of the Moon is the obvious winner with 741 conscutive weeks on the Billboard Top 100.
Best rock album ever has to be one of the classics already mentioned, ‘paranoid’, ‘Led Zep IV’, ‘who’s next’ etc, that’s when all the innovation took place, they’re the real touchstone influences for everything that came after in rock.
In modern times, though, I reckon rage against the machine are far and away the best rock band, and you could easy pick their first album as the best of the past ten years. ‘The battle for LA’ is probably stronger, but it was their first album that defined their sound and character.
I’d have to go with *Sgt. Pepper, *only because I remember when it came out, and we listened to that album for the very first time. It was one of those “OMFG!!!” experiences . . . something totally new, totally different than what had preceded it. I’m so glad I’m old enough to remember that experience.
Agreed. In the same vein, Are You Experienced? by the Jimi Hendrix Experience was one of those “OMFG!!” albums for me. I’d never heard anything like that before. What a summer 1967 was!
That said, I have to go with either Exile on Main Street or Who’s Next as the best rock album of all time, depending on how I’m feeling on a particular day. Both hang together brilliantly as a collection of songs.
One outstanding Tier I album not mentioned yet. (Perhaps some would not categorize it as rock?) Carole King, Tapestry.
A handful of Tier I Pink Floyd titles not specifically mentioned: * Animals, Wish You Were Here, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Saucerful of Secrets, The Wall*
No point in mentioning the ones I would’ve mentioned if someone hadn’t already mentioned them (2 or 7 times)…onwards to Tier II…
Styx, The Grand Illusion Kansas, Leftoverture Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes Yes, Close to the Edge U2, The Joshua Tree
