Greatest Rock Album of All Time

[miklorsmith]

Pink Floyd - "The Wall"

No question in my mind, although I openly admit to not hearing all the rock albums ever made.

Second, optional question - why do you think the album qualifies?

For my vote, quality of recording, variety of songs, connection between all the songs of the entire double-album, and individual song excellence combine to make The Wall truly special and deserving of the grand title "Best Rock Album of All Time".

Other votes?

 

[Dan Banquer]

Greatest Rock Album

Electric Ladyland; Jimi Hendrix
d.b.

 

[jrohland]

The greatest rock album ever?

To paraphrase the great Fey Waybill of the Tubes; Tied for the best rock album in the world...

For those to dense to get it, it is tied with ALL the other albums for which someone is making such a claim.

Which of course brings us to the point, no one could ever choose the best for everyone. You can only choose your favorite.

As for me, the best recorded album I've ever heard is Steely Dan, Aja. When you consider it was done (mostly) sans digital, it is all the more amazing.

The best rock album is always changing. My current fav would have to be Todd Rundgren's TR-i The Indivualist. A seminole work by a great artist. However, I don't think it would be considered a "concept" album.

jrohland

 

[MDS]

"A seminole work by a great artist". I was unaware that Todd Rundgren was a seminole indian or was even interested in seminole music.

Of course its impossible to choose The Greatest Rock Album of All Time, but The Wall would certainly be on my short list as well.

 

[jrohland]

Like it said

"A seminole work by a great artist". I was unaware that Todd Rundgren was a seminole indian or was even interested in seminole music.

This highly constructive comment from Anonymous could have pointed out the word should have been: seminal. Of course Anonymous has never had Google give a bad suggestion. Just lucky, I guess.

jrohland

 

[Dan]

I also used to think there was no such thing as a best album. A little known eyeopener was Skeleton Crew "Learn To Talk" (ca 1985) which hardly anyone ever heard and is long since out of print. Two guys (Fred Frith and the late Tom Cora) play 14 instruments and blow your mind. It is NOT for the faint of heart or conventionally minded.

 

[markw]

"Who's Next"

What more need be said?

 

[markw]

Don't sweat it.

This highly constructive comment from Anonymous could have pointed out the word should have been: seminal. Of course Anonymous has never had Google give a bad suggestion. Just lucky, I guess.

jrohland

He probably wasn't sure of the correct spelling either. Otherwise he would have pointed it out.

 

[sjdgpt]

what is best?

Define best.

Emotions? Recording? Long term appeal?


My short list:

Fleetwood Mac: Rumours

Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms

Steely Dan: Aja

Billy Joel: The Stranger


If I had to pick just one

Billy Joel.... for anybody that could land Christie Brinkley deserves my ultimate respect.

 

[Rob Babcock]

Pile Driver- Metal Inquisition.

 

[miklorsmith]

Your band?

 

[Resident Loser]

"Exile On Main Street"...

...period...

jimHJJ(......)

 

[Duffinator]

Well my all-time favorite rock album is Led Zeppelin's first album. Every song rocks but my favorite is Communication Breakdown. But it needs to be listened to at 90 db or above for maximum satisfaction!

 

[Mudcat]

Captain Beefheart
Dred Zepplin
Who's Next
Quadrophenia
Napalm Death
Academy of Saint Martins... Stravinsky's Firebird Suite in SACD (those bassoons actually hit you in the back of the head)


etc....

If this runs long enough, and enough different folks post, I'll bet the results would resemble The Rolling Stone list of 100 Greatest.

 

[MDS]

He probably wasn't sure of the correct spelling either. Otherwise he would have pointed it out.

I was just in one of those moods and felt like poking fun. You can rest assured that I know the correct word. One can always proof-read what they type rather than blindly copy a statement found by a Google search.

 

[surveyor]

Here's a few of honorable mentions.

The Alman Brothers- Eat A Peach
Bad Company- Bad Company
Mountain- Twin Peaks
The Rolling Stones- Sympathy For The Devil

 

[Rob Babcock]

Your band?

If that's directed at me, no- Pile Driver was a real band. Or at least mostly a real band. It was a fabricated band/heavy metal project in the 80's. The Piledriver was a mythic/fictional character that was said to have written the songs and sang them. It started as a bar bet- some buddies thought you could create a backstory and invent a band (like the boy bands were later assembled by middle aged men in suits) and sell records. The lyrics were pretty witty and the music was well played. The guys involved in the project really did like heavy metal, but they saw the humor in it, too. Metal Inquisition is a classic. Much more interesting than any moldy old Hendrix or 'Stones record.

 

[Takeereasy]

Tribute

I have to say, I'm not the Ozzy fan I once was, but to listen to this album, and to hear how much better is is than most studio stuff, despite the fact that it is recorded live, blows me away. This is one of the very few albums that I find captures the emotion that comes out during a really great concert.

I also really, really love The Wall as well, so I guess for me I can split it between my favourite live album, and favourite studio.

Please, keep the mean comments to a minimum about the Oz Man, what can I say, I likes what I likes. And you've got to admit that any offerings in this thread will be an opinion. I respect all of your opinions, no matter how contrary to mine, and therefore wrong they are.

 

[miklorsmith]

If that's directed at me, no- Pile Driver was a real band. Or at least mostly a real band. It was a fabricated band/heavy metal project in the 80's. The Piledriver was a mythic/fictional character that was said to have written the songs and sang them. It started as a bar bet- some buddies thought you could create a backstory and invent a band (like the boy bands were later assembled by middle aged men in suits) and sell records. The lyrics were pretty witty and the music was well played. The guys involved in the project really did like heavy metal, but they saw the humor in it, too. Metal Inquisition is a classic. Much more interesting than any moldy old Hendrix or 'Stones record.

That's hilarious. When you wrote the name of the band and album title, I thought "that is the quintessential tentpole of 80's metal". Parallel to Spinal Tap of the 70's. The fact that it is indeed exactly that is too much.

I will have to look for it.

 

[Rob Babcock]

Metal Inquisition has been reissued, but sadly not in it's full glory. The rather timid record label balked at a couple of the more offensive tracks, opting to swap them out for other songs. Which is funny, because when you hear how offensive the songs are they did leave on you'll just shake your head! Sadly a couple of my favorites aren't on the reissue, but the "core classics" are.

So do I really think PD is the "greatest ever"? I may have been having a little fun with the oft-answered question. Choosing the greatest single album is like picking your favorite finger or your favorite of your children. It's probably absurd to think there's a single best album, and more absurd to expect ones choice to apply to anyone else.