Here in the states, several radio stations over the Memorial day Weekend (last Monday in May) will have people vote (generally before the weekend) on their favorite song /album. Around here, near Detroit, the "Classic Rock" station that I listen to has
has the top 500 albums for several years. Generally, every year, it ends up being
Led Zepplin (ZoSo - IV) / "Stairway to Heaven" or Pink Floyd "Dark Side of The Moon".
Granted, I love these albums & songs, but I have especially have gotten "sick" of
"Stairway to Heaven" winning "best song EVER" close to every year!!!! The Beatles
Abbey Road & The White Album usually end up maybe 4 & 5 on this list. And the station
will have pretty much - any "classic Rock" person in South-east Michigan vote for their
"favorite". Any thoughts????

1. Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything
2. Van Morrison - It's Too Late To Stop Now

After that, it's anyone's!

Right now I'm going to say the best album ever is Blonde On Blonde, but I'll have a different answer for that one every six hours or so. It'll be Revolver around 4:00 PM, Sound Affects at dusk and Exile On Main Street by about 3:00 AM.  ;D

I can't believe people are still flogging "Stairway To Heaven," even on classic rock stations. Zeppelin were always better doing this sort of thing, I think:

Is this none Beatle best ever?
Its down to my own opinion time , when you pick your best ever , i tend to think albums like Dark Side Of The Moon is a masterpiece and allways in the running as best album ever but i Love Wish You Were Here  :-/ my fav Floyd album
So then In My Opinion the best album is
After Sgt Pepper
Its  Quadrophenia - The Who .
I still play it and not skip a single track on a double album after 30 years is not bad in my book .  8) 8) 8) 8) 8)    


No Phil was mentioned in the making of this post.  

Quoted from mr kite

No Phil was mentioned in the making of this post.  

;D ;D ;D

Quoted from Geoff

Right now I'm going to say the best album ever is Blonde On Blonde, but I'll have a different answer for that one every six hours or so. It'll be Revolver around 4:00 PM, Sound Affects at dusk and Exile On Main Street by about 3:00 AM.  ;D

I'm generally the same way. What song is going thru my head when I wake up is not
what's going thru my head by time I have Breakfast / shower. And by lunch - it's something else. I "try" not to say "Beatles kick EVERY OTHER MUSIC EVER", but this
might not be fair, I just "prefer" The Beatles over a lot of others. There are albums
that are "manitory" in ones collection (every one mentioned in this thread is in my
collection.) I'm just not in favor of "Stairway" being "all THAT great" - good ok.
("Stairway" better than "Day in a Life"??? - No way, but my option, to someone else, that's your option.)

(If a song gets into your head and you "want it out", what do you do?? I just start humming the last part of "Hey Jude", since it basically just keep going on and on.
Evenually, I get rid of the other song. Can Anybody tell ... that I work by self and have
nobody else to talk to!!!! guess this is what happen's when you're in a big building
and no one to talk with!!! Just glad I'm a Beatle nut in DM's Beatle Forum!!!!) :) :) :)

Best album  " EVER " thats none Beatles would be David Bowie " Hunky Dory " or Pink Floyd " Wish You Were Here " can't really decide which is the best between these two brilliant albums .(cool1)

well, my fav album ever really is Sgt Pepper, but there are so many albums i play
constantly which i cannot live without,

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
Villlage Green Presevation - Kinks
The Band - The Band
Pet Sounds - Beach Boys
Meat is Murder - the Smiths
Blue - Joni Mitchell
Talking Book - Stevie Wonder
Blonde on Blone - Dylan...........to name a few.

:)

Quoted from Andy Smith

well, my fav album ever really is Sgt Pepper, but there are so many albums i play
constantly which i cannot live without,

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
Villlage Green Presevation - Kinks
The Band - The Band
Pet Sounds - Beach Boys
Meat is Murder - the Smiths
Blue - Joni Mitchell
Talking Book - Stevie Wonder
Blonde on Blone - Dylan...........to name a few.

Great list: for myself, I'd throw in some Curtis Mayfield, Paul Weller, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard.

i'd throw Paul Weller's Stanly Road in there!  :)

Best album..........hhhmmm..........
Ok..........
My "favorite" album I can't live without is the Beatles "White Album".  It's just so different and "strange".....
Next would be Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon".......Hello.....dude.....on Billboards' top 100 for over 14 YEARS..........
..............and Emerson, Lake and Palmer's "Tarkus".........not Brain Salad Surgery, but I really, REALLY like this album.......it's in my cd player in the car right now....
And I've got to have King Crimson's first album, "In The Court of The Crimson King".
I love Zep, the Stones, you know..........but these four listed are the four I LOVE.

Not to mention..............."Sgt. Pepper" and "Abby Road".........I love all the Beatles' early work, but I ADORE the later stuff........no more be said............

Quoted from Andy Smith

i'd throw Paul Weller's Stanly Road in there!  :)

Weller's another of those guys it's hard for me to pick favorites of because the pieces all seem to make the most sense as parts of a whole, at least to me. I hear the Beatles the same way. But I particularly like The Jam's In The City, Setting Sons, and Sound Affects; and Paul Weller, his first solo album.  :)

Indeed Wellers 1st solo album was spot on as is Wild Wood, Live Wood & Stanley...Not been too impressed by his latest offerings though...Anyone catch 'Invisible' on Jools Holland the other night? More like 'misreable.' lol
In fairness, he did have to perform straight after Jimmy Cliff belted out many rivers to cross...


best album ever....back to topic...ummm.....Well....Stevie, Curtis, DSOTM are all up there...like Douglas it changes all the time.

The best album ever has still to be made...Today I'll say, Inner Visions & Nuyorican Soul but I acknowledge the Zep & Floyd are probably closest to a complete best album as in start to finish for me. I did once upon a time love Sting's Ten Summoners tales as a good contender for all the way through album.
Theres always a song that ruins it somewhere on an album though...even with my beloved Beatles. heheheh.

Abbey Rd, Revolver , TWA, Pepper aswell.

To elaborate that last attempt a bit....The best album ever in my eyes is one where every song start to finish is a corker. That proper narrows it down. Easy to pick a best album where you like most of the songs....Gee I'm not awake yet! lol

Some more of my best albums  " EVER "

T.rex - Electric Warrior
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
The Human League - Dare
Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
Lou Reed - Transformer
Blondie - Plastic Letters
Radiohead - In Rainbows
David Bowie - Station To Station
The Associates - sulk
Dusty Springfield - Ev'erything's Coming Up Dusty
Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy
ELO - Out Of The Blue
Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years
Stevie Wonder - Innervision
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
The Killers - Hot Fuss
George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice
Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
ABBA - The Visitors
Goldfrapp - Supernature

(bouncing1)

I'm not sure where to draw the line between 'best' album and 'favourite' album. I chose Todd Rundgren's 'Something/Anything' because it has been my favourite album since I bought it in 1974. That's a long time to stay up there. There isn't a single song that I don't like on it, and I can only say that about AHDN as far as The Beatles are concerned. But does that make it the best album ever? I can also say similar things about Weller's 'Stanley Road', and 'Heavy Soul'.

It's a difficulte distinction BlueMeanie between best ever album and favourite album , some on my longer list i've loved for years and they never appear on these best lists that you see .
Electric Warrior by T.rex is a brilliant album and i've never seen that in the top 100 of these lists .

I think Electric Warrior is often overlooked because T-Rex are often - unfairly, in my opinion - thought of as just another 70's glam band, and placed alongside the likes of The Sweet, Slade, and Gary Glitter. And they all had more successful chart careers than T-Rex. But it is an excellent album.

Agree BlueMeanie it is an excellent album two knockout singles in  "Get it On " and  "Jeepster " and stunning album tracks like  Mambo Sun , Cosmic Dancer and life's A Gas . And Tony Visconti's production is brilliant (thumbsup)
Kate Bush's Hounds Of Love rightly appears on these lists but ive always thought Electric Warrior is as good if not better than an album like Hounds Of Love , i think there is a lot of musical snobbery around when such polls are drawn up .(thumbsdown)

Quoted from DaveRam

Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years
Stevie Wonder - Innervision
(bouncing1)

I totally agree. "Innervisions" was my favourite album for a long time, now I'm enjoying more "Songs in the Key of Life", I really think is one of the greatest albums ever made.
"Still Crazy After All These Years" is amazing. "My Little Town" is my favourite song from that album.

Quoted from tkitna

now that's a great album! i always think it's an album that got lost in the 60's but
kind of gain regonition in recent years.

Quoted from Andy Smith

now that's a great album! i always think it's an album that got lost in the 60's but
kind of gain regonition in recent years.

Yeah, I absolutely love it. Just for a comparison, it plays like 'Revolver' compared to 'Please Please Me' when it comes to the Zombies other stuff. Its so far away and better than the pop stuff they were during prior. I've been wanting to get 'RIP' by the Zombies also but its really steep as its an import. I'll break down eventually.

Well - here's the "list" from Memorial Day weekend (songs this time instead of albums), and
might I say, what a disappointing list!!! I'm glad I have a CD player/cassette player in my car!!

http://www.wcsx.com/content/2008_06motorcity500.asp

Oh, man! I haven't heard most of those songs in ages. What fun!

*cruises down the highway with my hair blowing, singing my lungs out*


And i can see you
you brown skin shining in the sun
you got your hair combed back
sunglasses on baby

Quoted from douglasleee

Well - here's the "list" from Memorial Day weekend (songs this time instead of albums), and
might I say, what a disappointing list!!! I'm glad I have a CD player/cassette player in my car!!

http://www.wcsx.com/content/2008_06motorcity500.asp

Yech!!!!!  ;D

I suppose "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "More Than A Feeling" are as inevitable as termites in a cheap rooming house, but "Carry On Wayward Son?" (barf4)

Now, my reaction is to immediately start dancing to these song titles. These are my people! ;D

GRACE

Beatles aside
these are a few personal faves but maybe not the what i rank as the greatest ever


Blur - Blur
Blur - Parklife
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
The Police - Synchronicity
The Police - Regatta de Blanc
Radiohead - The Bends
Rhcp - BSSM
King Crimson - In the court of the crimson king
Jimi Hendrix - Axis bold as love
Beach boys - Pet sounds

Quoted from fendertele

The Smiths - The Queen is Dead

The Police - Synchronicity
The Police - Regatta de Blanc

Rhcp - BSSM

I've never understood the popularity of The Smiths. Can somebody honestly say that their songs don't all sound the same?

Police albums were always ruined by the non Sting songs.

Rhcp - BSSM?

Quoted from BlueMeanie

Rhcp - BSSM?

Red Hot Chili Peppers-Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Quoted from BlueMeanie

I've never understood the popularity of The Smiths. Can somebody honestly say that their songs don't all sound the same?

Police albums were always ruined by the non Sting songs.

Rhcp - BSSM?

i think thats one of the reasons i love that album in particular (The queen is dead) as it does kind off have similar sound running through all the songs (morriseys voice and marrs own unique sound) that it flows really nicely and is good to listen to as a whole.

but i do agree a lot of there songs can have the same sound, but it aint a problem if you like that sound ;)

i think the Smiths had their own sound that coundn't be copied.
the B-52's are another band that come to mind.  :)

Never been a Smiths fan and i`m a Manc !

Crosbsy, Stills And Nash - Crosby Stills And Nash  8)

Never gets the credit it deserves, its in my top ten best ever . :)

Quoted from mr kite

Crosbsy, Stills And Nash - Crosby Stills And Nash  8)

Never gets the credit it deserves, its in my top ten best ever . :)

I agree. Its a great album. 'Dark Star' has always been one of my favorite songs ever. 'Shadow Captain', 'Just A Song Before I Go', and 'I Give You Give Blind' are incredible also.

(I might have the wrong album. I'm talking about CSN when their riding the boat on the cover. I believe your talking about the debut where their sitting on the couch on the cover. That is an incredible album also. Either way, you cant go wrong.)

Transformer by Lou Reed is one album that I never get sick of listening to. To me, it's perfect, with absolutely no filler. And the bonus acoustic tracks on the 30th anniversary are great too.

The Beach Boys - Friends
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
The Beach Boys - Sunflower
The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys Today!
The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
Brian Wilson - Smile
Cat Stevens - The Very Best Of
Elliott Smith - XO
Lagwagon - Let's Talk About Feelings
No Use For A Name - More Betterness!

some great Beach Boy ones there Joost!  :)
i love Sunflower, could be my fav of all beach boy records!

Some more i like

Depeche Mode - Violator
Fleetwood Mac (1976) Rhiannon is a great track from this album .
Kate Bush - Never For Ever
Tyrannosaurus Rex - Unicorn
Pink Floyd - Meddle
The Human League - Travelogue (love the opening track of this album "The Black Hit Of Space " , the single " Being Boiled " is still one of the best synthesizer songs )

Quoted from tkitna

I agree. Its a great album. 'Dark Star' has always been one of my favorite songs ever. 'Shadow Captain', 'Just A Song Before I Go', and 'I Give You Give Blind' are incredible also.

(I might have the wrong album. I'm talking about CSN when their riding the boat on the cover. I believe your talking about the debut where their sitting on the couch on the cover. That is an incredible album also. Either way, you cant go wrong.)

Me and TKitna agree  8)

But yeh Tkitna its the debut album i was on about , with the brilliant Suite Judy Blue Eyes on it  8)

Quoted from mr kite

Me and TKitna agree  8)

;D

Dont worry Mr. K. I'm sure something will come around soon so we can bicker about it.

Oh .. i like a good debate .  ;)

Another unsung great album         Stormcock - Roy harper   8)

Quoted from BlueMeanie

I've never understood the popularity of The Smiths. Can somebody honestly say that their songs don't all sound the same?

Well, Morrissey and Johnny Marr both had a very recognizable style that gave all their songs that typical Smiths sound, but I don't think that their songs all sounded that much alike. Not more than the songs of any other guitar based band.

Some of my favorites in really no particular order:

Superunknown - Soundgarden
A Nod Is as Good as a Wink...To a Blind Horse - The Faces
Fly Like An Eagle - Steve Miller Band

...There are so many more but I can't think of them right at this moment. :)

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

nice list Mr Mustard!  ;)

Bob Marley - Legend is a great compilation (smile)

best albums ever? Beatles Red & Blue albums!  :P :P ;D

I consider Joni Mitchell's Blue and Court and Spark 2 of the most amazing albums ever recorded.

Blue is an incredible album! i get emotional every time i listen to it, i just
love her voice as well! Her last album 'Shine' is fantastic as well!

these are my fav Mitchell albums ever:


Hejira


Ladies of the Canyon


Blue

:)

2Pac - The 7 Day Theory