Best album "EVER" - DM's Beatles forums

The Greatest Album of All Time is Sgt. Pepper's.  But not because it's the best -- musically, it's not even the Beatles' best.  But it gets that unofficial title because of how important it was not only culturally but to the music industry as a whole -- it shifted the emphasis of the industry away from the single and towards the LP.  The notion of a concept album, the importance of cover art, possibly even the printing of the lyrics, all came from Pepper.

My personal list (grouped by artist, not preference):

the BEATLES -- The White Album, Abbey Road, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's
   Either White Album or Abbey Road is my favorite.... but I can't necessarily say either is better than Revolver.  And Rubber Soul is pretty awesome too.  (What am I telling you all this for?  You already know.)

LED ZEPPELIN -- LZ I, LZ II, LZ IV
   If an alien landed on earth and asked me to play him an example of a great rock album, Led Zeppelin IV is what I would probably play him.  Not a weak second on this masterpiece.  And I like their first one just as much, and their second one almost as much. Their third is a pretty great effort too, but just a shade below these three.

the ROLLING STONES -- Exile on Main Street, Beggar's Banquet, Let it Bleed
   Between '68 and '72 the Stones were second to none in terms of their musical output.  I love almost every grungy, grimy, muddy minute of Exile.  With Banquet, the Stones were stepping up from their already lofty perch into new, more rarefied air amongst rock bands.

JIMI HENDRIX --  Electric Ladyland, Are You Experienced
   Ladyland is Hendrix's masterpiece of "space blues."  Long, bluesy, hypnotic jams.  Are You Experienced is arguably the greatest debut album any artist has ever produced.

AC/DC -- High Voltage, Back in Black
   Bon Scott rules on High Voltage.  And Brian Johnson showed on Back in Black that the band would go on successfully without Scott.

ALICE IN CHAINS -- Facelift
   Alice may have been the best of the early '90s Seattle groups.  My jaw dropped when I heard this in '91 ("Who the hell are these guys?")

BEASTIE BOYS -- Licensed to Ill
   Is it ironic that rap's most successful group was three Brooklyn Jewish white boys?

THE BEE GEES (and other artists, but mostly them) -- Saturday Night Fever
   Yeah, I admit it, I love the movie and the soundtrack.

BLACK SABBATH -- Black Sabbath
   Another band that stunned me when I decided to give them a try.

DAVID BOWIE -- Ziggy Stardust
   Bowie's best album.

the CLASH -- London Calling
   They showed their versatility, far more than "just another punk band."

CREAM -- Disraeli Gears
   Sunshine of Your Love, Tales of Brave Ulysses, Strange Brew.... Cream at their peak.

DEREK AND THE DOMINOS -- Layla
   Probably the masterpiece of Clapton's career.  Great story behind the making of it too.

the DOORS -- The Doors
   Boy, 1967 was one wicked year for music!

ENYA -- Shepherd Moons
   I'm a sucker for Enya's New Age stuff.  In the early '90s I went to a lot of raves, did a lot of strange substances and after the party would always chill to this album.  I still like it.

ROBERT JOHNSON -- King of the Delta Blues Singers
   This album didn't come out until the early '60s, about 25 years after Johnson's death, but he recorded all of these songs about the same time (1936/37), and it's all he ever recorded, so I don't think it's technically a compilation.  It's the most haunting singing I've ever heard.  The guy's voice sounds like he's spent the last 300 years in hell, and he wasn't even 30.  Just him and his acoustic guitar -- and the devil, too.

FLEETWOOD MAC -- Rumours
   I only heard this all the way through for the first time a few weeks ago (I've heard most of the songs for years on the radio) and understood why it sold 18 bazillion copies in '77.

JOHN LENNON -- Plastic Ono Band
   I love this stripped down, first post-Beatle recording by John.  Not only did he was he exorcising his demons on record, he was writing some great songs.  I prefer this to the more polished Imagine, which came out a year later.

LYNYRD SKYNYRD -- Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd, Second Helping
   I think Skynyrd should be on the same level of rock godhood as more celebrated bands like Floyd, the Who, Sabbath and others.  Maybe they're not because of their premature demise.  But their signature bludgeoning guitars, the vocals of Ronnie Van Zant, and their great songs compare favorably with anyone in music.

SINEAD O'CONNOR -- I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
   Probably my all-time favorite album by a female singer.  Shockingly good.  Too bad she went into seclusion afterwards.

PINK FLOYD -- Dark Side of the Moon
   You've probably heard of this one.

ELVIS PRESLEY -- The Complete Sun Sessions
   These 1954/55 recordings were Elvis at his very best.  Then in '56 he became nationally famous, but his first big hits weren't as good as these ones (gems like That's All Right Mama, Mystery Train, Blue Moon of Kentucky, You're a Heartbreaker, etc.).  And by the early '60s.... forget about it.

the RAMONES -- Ramones
   This one is definitely in my top 10.  Nothing pumps me up more than this one.  There may not have been any Sex Pistols, Clash or punk movement if not for this 28-minute masterpiece.

the SEX PISTOLS -- Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
   Are the Pistols a truly great band?  That's debatable, but they're certainly rock's greatest crash and burn story.

SPINAL TAP -- This is Spinal Tap
   Soundtrack of the movie.  Easily the funniest rock album ever made. And the comedy doesn't get old on repeated listening.

the WHO -- Who's Next
   As great as this album is, there's an uneven quality about it.  The two anthems that begin and end the record (Baba O'Riley and Won't Get Fooled Again) are undeniably great and ambitious rock songs; but for whatever reason they don't move me in the same way that Zep and the Stones' early '70s output does.  I think it's because those songs, like others on Who's Next, came from a failed project that nearly landed Pete Townshend in the nuthouse.  Behind Blue Eyes is a classic, Getting in Tune and Love Ain't for Keeping are good, but I could do without Song is Over.
   I like Tommy a lot too, but it gets left off the list because of too much filler.

the VELVET UNDERGROUND -- The Velvet Underground and Nico, The Velvet Underground
   The joke with the Velvets is that they sold about 100 records but everyone who bought a copy started a band.  Their first record, with Lou Reed's girlfriend Nico singing on a few of the songs, still stands up today.  That record may have singlehandedly given birth to glam-rock, punk, new wave and grunge.  And their third album, titled The Velvet Underground (1969) was the band stripped down, more melodic and tuneful.  I actually slightly prefer it to their first.

YAZ -- Upstairs at Eric's
   Obscure early '80s New Wavers, featuring the great Allison Moyet on vocals.

Many of my favorite albums (the ones I go back to again and again) are compilations, which I didn't list above; but here are my favorites:

ABBA -- Greatest Hits
the ALLMAN BROTHERS -- Hits 1969-79
the BEATLES -- 20 Greatest Hits, and the '62-66 (Red) and '67-70 (Blue) albums. These were the introduction.
BLACK SABBATH -- We Sold Our Soul for Rock and Roll
DAVID BOWIE -- ChangesBowie
the DOORS -- Original Soundtrack Recording
ELTON JOHN -- Greatest Hits
BILLY JOEL -- The Essential Billy Joel
JOHN LENNON -- The John Lennon Collection
BOB MARLEY -- Legend
the SMITHS -- Singles
SANTANA -- Greatest Hits
SIMON AND GARFUNKEL -- Greatest Hits
FRANK SINATRA -- Sinatra Reprise: The Very Good Years
the WHO -- Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy