Best Rock Albums Ever
So as this is my first post in this new forum, I want to tell you all a little about me and why I am here talking to you. I am your normal average american male with opinions on everything. Especially things which tend to be thought of as pop culture. As I am sure all of you do, I sit with my buddies and yak about everything from sports to movies, from music to politic and more. We often get into fairly heated debates about particular topics, and we have a great time with it too. So now, I want to invite you to these discussions. I love opinions, so let me hear yours.
Now, enough about why I am here. Lets start the chatting. In a few weeks from now I want to release a list of the best Rock Albums of all time. To do this I need your input. I want to hear what Rock albums you consider the best ever.
Now, before you start in let me define some rules here. First off, lets limit it to Rock, and rock related genres. This would be rock, hard rock, metal, grunge, and punk. Lets leave off genres like pop, r&b, rap and others. In the future we will hit these albums. Rule #2, I want to focus on albums, and not simply bands. I don't care that you think The Beatles are the best ever band, and all of their albums should be included. I would however like to hear why The White Album is better than Sgt. Peppers. Rule #3, check your facts first. Believe me, I will and if you tell me how "Still Remains" make the album Core work, I will call you out.
So, lets hear it America. I am ready for your Abstract.
4 comments:
this is quite a task you've given us. in the future, the message should self-destruct. the album i'm going to throw forth is not the best ever in my opinion, but i can't think of the best ever, and i don't have time to try to generate a list on my own. i do thnk this should be there though, so i'm gonna toss it out there. Flogging Molly- Swagger. their first album, it hits hard and fast at times, has a ballad, and one track is almost spoken. all are poetic. so that's my two cents, let's see if it collects interest.
I'd like to discuss four albums for this. AC\DC - Back in Black and Guns n' Roses Appetite for Destruction and Metallica - Metallica (aka the black album) and Operation Ivy - Energy
AC\DC's return to rock after the death of their lead singer with this album. The songs provide an audio eulogy to Bon Scott as well as proclaiming their place in rock. The title track, You Shook Me All Night Long, and Rock n' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution are just three of the classic track off this complete listen album.
Appetite For Destruction came out when hair metal ruled the world and immediately started kicking ass. Welcome to the Jungle, Mr. Brownstone and Paradise City show the hard edge this music re-introduced in the 80's. Sweet Child O' Mine lent a softer side to the album and one of the most famous riffs in history.
Metallica is probably the most argumentative album of the three. Any hardcore Metallica fans will be calling for Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets as the better album, but Metallica features the same hard charging style (although in shorter clips) as the other Metallica contenders (which can also be allowed onto this list). It also shows the softer side of Metallica with Nothing Else Matters. This album satisfied Metallica fans (some were upset to find Metallica had a softer side) and introduced Metallica to the masses helping cement metal's place in pop music. It also led to the longest tour in rock history.
Op Ivy built a punk rock based album with ska infused. The band inspired Rancid and Greenday among a myriad of other ska and punk bands. They used intelligent and political lyrics with high energy music to create an early and influential album. Although it is the bands only album, it is considered a classic of punk and ska\punk.
Some other suggestions for the list if anyone wants to argue for or against are:
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
The Who's Tommy (how can we leave out THE rock opera)
Hendrix - Are you Experienced
Led Zeplin -Zoso (aka IV) it's the one with Stairway to Heaven (rock's most requested song)
Lynyrd Skynyrd (pronounced le-nerd ski-nerd) it has Freebird the second most requested rock song (possibly most requested song at live events)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magic
The Ramones - The Ramones
Best album to listen to during a colonoscopy: Led Zeplin's In Through the Out Door
just a few suggestions
Controversial times call for dramatic imagery and haunting lyrics. He may sound like Bullwinkle, but The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963) is the most evocative album I've ever heard. Hard Rain, Oxford Town and Masters of War are killer social indictments while other songs poke fun at Cold war paronia.
And, as a bonus, Pink Floyd's The Final Cut has to make a top five for post-imperial angst; especially for history buffs. Maybe not "best ever" quality, but emotionally powerful none the less.
Ok, well this is the best I have to work from so here it goes...
Slammy62 - "Nevermind" was certainly groundbreaking in that it brought grunge mainstream, but, seriously that is all due to seven days. What i mean is seven days later, the true flagship grunge album was released and that would be Pearl Jam's "Ten". Nirvana was always an overrated group. Thats right overrated. Attention Nirvana, feedback is not an instrument! Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, STP, and Mother Lovebone are all better representatives of the grunge sound.
Jeff - Seriously man, laziness is never an excuse. I will give props where props are due, and Flogging Molly does deserve mention, but we are looking for some of the best rock albums of all time. If we were putting together a top 100, maybe, but not on a top 10 or 25.
Polio - All four of your suggestions were solid. People will have a hard time arguing with the Black Album, because it was the album that brought Metal mainstream. Even though your more snobbish metal fans call this album the beginning of the end for Metallica, it really was groundbreaking. Lets however not forget "Master of Puppets" either.
Like Metallica, it would be difficult to keep GnR off a top rock list. They really were the mega act of a 1980's filled with big hair, fast cars, and even faster women. "Appetite" was a classic, as was "Lies" and I know some of you out there will also argue for "Illusion 1" and there is a case to be made there too. The Axl and Slash tandem was a force to be reckoned with.
AC/DC is one of the more underrated rock bands in my opinion, but regardless of who held the mic, Bonn Scott or Bryan Johnson, Agnus and his brother still failed, in my mind, to make that one album that could separate them from the pack. "Back in Black" may in fact be their best effort, but I don't know if it cuts the mustard with some of your other suggestions.
Lastly, you argued Operation Ivy. Seriously, get your head checked. If you want to talk groundbreaking and inspirational groups, look to the Ramones. Look to the Sex Pistols. Hell, look to Bad Religon. But Op Ivy, please.
Yankee John - Even if I can't stand hearing the man's voice, it would be difficult to argue against Bob Dylan as the most influential man in rock, maybe ever. His songwriting is legendary, and he inspired more than an entire generation of musicians who followed him, but he was truly a voice of a generation. Now, I would like to point out that it is my Dad's generation we are talking about here, so you may need to update your collection a bit.
Now you and Polio both mentioned Pink Floyd. Floyd was simply great. which of their albums makes the list, (and there could be a few) is really the debate.
As for all of you others out there, get those thinking caps on. So far only one person has mentioned Zeplin, one has mentioned Hendrix. I have yet to hear the Eagles brought into the conversation. I am yet to hear arguments for the Beatles, the Stones, or Aerosmith. Lets get on it boys and girls. Lets talk rock.
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