What do you think are the 10 most "perfect" rock albums?

[absyntheNsugar]

By that I mean which ones flow the best, come accross as flawless studio productions and the songs just seem to be in the perfect order? Live albums don't count - and just because something is a perfect studio album, doesn't mean it can't be minimalist:

Anyway, here's mine, in no particular order:

(these ones go without saying)
Beatles - Abbey Road
Beatles - Sgt. Pepper
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

(these one's need some 'splainin)

Boston

This album just does it. Every song on it is studio perfection, and though it may seem overdone, all the melody/harmony combos, guitar overdubs all do just the right thing.

Grateful Dead - Terrapin Station

For a band who's studio albums never really 'got it', this one makes up for lost time with a flawless studio album, with each of Jerry's licks hitting the nail right on the head.

Talking Heads - Remain in Light

From beginning to end, this album doesnt let up. Adrian Belew just shreds all over the place, but not an error to be heard.

Radiohead - OK Computer

OMG....as far as the 90's go this album is our "Dark Side." Thom Yorke and the gang manage to deliver just the right tune, in the right abstraction of vocals and motifs at just the right time.

King Crimson - Discipline

Many people probably never heard of this band, but trust me when I say Robert Fripp is a perfectionist, and it completely shows on this album. Flawless, metered - like a musical Escher painting, or the second coming of Johann Sebastian Bach.

[Character Assassin]

1. Boston's first album needs no explaining, but ANYTHING by the Dead does

Grateful Dead - Terrapin Station

For a band who's studio albums never really 'got it', this one makes up for lost time with a flawless studio album, with each of Jerry's licks hitting the nail right on the head.

Yeah, but it was the 'sleeping pill disguised as human talent' nail with the 'Don't mistake this guitar for a triple dosage of Nyquil' hammer.

Zzzzzzz.....

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers

The Who - Who's Next
Bowie - Ziggy Stardust

[LynneSin]

3. My 10

In no particular order

1. Led Zeppelin I
   
2. Led Zeppelin II
   
3. Led Zeppelin III
   
4. Led Zeppelin IV (Zoso)
   
5. Led Zeppelin's House of the Holy
   
6. Led Zeppelin's Physical Grafitti
   
7. Led Zeppelin's Presense
   
8. Led Zeppelin's In Through the Out Door
   
9. Led Zeppelin's Song Remains the Same
   
10. Led Zeppelin's The BBC Sessions
    

[absyntheNsugar]

4. Bartcop...is that you?

Hehehehe.....Might I guess you are a fan of the hammer of the gods?

[vi5]

5. My 10...

Boston - Boston (no apologies needed)
Radiohead - The Bends (screw their later pretentious crapola)
Janes Addiction - Nothings Shocking
AC/DC - Highway To Hell
Uncle Tupelo - No Depression
U2 - War
Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground and Nico
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
The Cure - Disintegration

[AntiSmirk]

6. Mine would include these

The Clash - The Clash
London Calling - The Clash
Rust Never Sleeps - Neil Young
American Beauty Rose - The Grateful Dead
Live at Leeds - The Who
Blur - Blur

[Loonman]

7. 10

1) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band - The Beatles

2) The Doors - The Doors

3) The Cure - The Head on the Door

4) Pink Floyd - Meddle

5) The Cult - Love

6) The Smiths - The Queen is Dead

7) Echo & the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain

8) Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

9) New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies

10)The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands

[Loonman]

17. I'm going to cheat and add another to my list

ABC - The Lexicon of Love

Because the production on that album is amazing, and I haven't heard anything like it, since.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

8. top 10

Soundgarden - Superunkown (and no, Black Hole Sun isnt the best song, Mailman is)
Guns n Roses - Appetite for Destruction (Mr. Brownstone, are you kidding me?)
Tool - Aenima (a complete masterpiece of originality)
Beatles - White Album
Radiohead - Kid A
Portishead - self-titled
probably Pink Floyd The Wall - though i couldnt really care for it
Michael Jackson - Thriller (yes, its rock, folks)
Tricky -Maxinquay (yes, its rock, folks)
Son Volt - Trace

[BlueEyedSon]

9. Beatles - Revolver

[regularguy]

10. OK

Joni Mitchell: Cout and Spark

Talking Heads: Remain in light

Zep: Physical Grafitti

Stones: Beggars Banquet right on through Exile.

Beck : Odelay

Lots of other stuff

[mac56]

11. 1. The Beatles - Revolver

2. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
3. Richard & Linda Thompson - Shoot Out The Lights
4. Graham Parker & The Rumour - Heat Treatment
5. Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything
6. 10,000 Maniacs - Our Time In Eden
7. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - This Year's Model
8. Joe Jackson - Look Sharp!
9. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
10. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Damn The Torpedoes

[CanuckAmok]

12. Agree with all of yours except "Pet Sounds"

I just think it's over-rated.

I'd add:

Gun Club - Fire of Love

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Murder Ballads

Ramones - Rocket to Russia

Slayer - Reign in Blood (possibly the best metal album ever)

[ProfessorGAC]

13. I Like All Your Picks

I'm not wild about the Boston record. It is, indeed, impeccably produced, but i don't think all the songs are particularly interesting or even all that good. (Gonna Hitch A Ride is IMO the best song on the album.)

Discipline is an unbelievable album, but i actually think Beat is the best of that era. The 3rd one (3 of a Perfect Pair) is equal to Discipline. I saw them live on the Beat tour. Man, were they great!

I'm not a fan of the Dead, necessarily. Don't dislike them, they just don't move me. So, i wouldn't put them on my list, but i can't criticize your choice.

Other Small Differences:
I think Zep's best album is Physical Graffiti. Most adventerous overall (close 2nd is 3rd album).
I would have put another Beatles album on the list: Rubber Soul
And, i would always add (apologies to SiouxJ & XNASA) The Fixx's "Reach The Beach" which i think is the best overall album of the 80's.

We're of fairly like minds, though.
The Professor

[absyntheNsugar]

20. Although I like "Physical Graffiti" better

I didn't put it on since it wasn't a 'perfect' album. The tune "Night Flight" comes to mind when Plant hits that high note and just misses it.

But otherwise, an awesome album.

[Xandor]

14. I would include Jimi...

Are You Experienced
maybe Axis: Bold as Love, too.

I would include the Dead, but I think it would be Anthem of the Sun.
and Airplane, After Bathing at Baxter's.

The rest would overlap with others' lists here.

[woofless]

15. In no particular order

The Who "Who's Next"
Ten Years After "A Space In Time"
"Allman Brothers Live at the Fillmore"
"Blind Faith"
The Dead "Workingman's Dead"
"Abbey Road"
Santana "Abraxas"
Traffic "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys"
Led Zeppellin "I" "II" "III" or any of them
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young "Deja Vu"

on edit: noticed the no live albums caveat too late.

[markus]

16. A few "better" picks

For a Dead album, Wake of the Flood. Much better than Terrapin.

Another vote for Something/Anything, and possibly A Wizard/A True Star.

Ok, Mark, just make a list. In no particular order:

A Wizard/A True Star
Wake of the Flood
Dark Side of the Moon
Sticky Fingers
Leon Russel (self titled first album)
Something/Anything (yes, two picks for Rundgren. He deserves it).
Abbey Road (beats Sgt. Pepper's hands down).
Another vote for Revolver.

I'm trying very hard to think of something from the 80s or 90s that belongs in this league. Maybe I'm just Suck In the Seventies, like Gallagher.


Ok, I give up.

The WB Live Album by the Dead (Skull F---).
Axis/Bold as Love.

Ok, so I'm an old fart. But I'm an old far with good taste.

18. odd baker's dozen

London Calling - Clash
Remain in Light - Talking Heads
OK Computer - Radiohead
Life's Rich Pageant - REM
White Album - Beatles (really anything starting with Rubber Soul)
Exile on Main Street - Stones
Highway 61 Revisited - Dylan
After Bathing at Baxters - Airplane
Lark's Tongues in Aspic - Crimson
Bitches Brew - Miles
Electric Ladyland - Hendrix
American Beauty - the Dead

not studio, so do they count?


Live at Leeds - Who
Live at Fillmore - Allman Brothers

[Leftist78]

19. mine

obviously in no particular order

1. Nivana - Nevermind This one shouldn't need any explanation.

2. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols Not the first punk band, but they did define what it meant to be punk

3. The Clash - London Calling Best album from the best of the Holy Trinity of Punk

4. Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland Hendrix's most experimental and greatest album

5. The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East The greatest live album ever by the greatest live band ever

6. Uncle Tupelo - March 16-20, 1992 The best folk album since early Dylan

7. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited Dylan's loudest and best

8. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska Hands down, the best Springsteen album

9. B.B. King - Live at The Regal Without a doubt the greatest live blues album ever

10. Derek and The Domino's - Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs Blues/Rock doesn't get any better than this.

There are lot's more and the next time someone asks me this there might be a few of them that are different. It changes often.

[dwckabal]

21. Here's my list

in no particular order...

Beatles-Magical Mystery Tour
Hendrix-Axis: Bold As Love & Electric Ladyland
Stones-Beggar's Banquet
Grateful Dead-Workingman's Dead
Peter Gabriel-IV (Security)
Pink Floyd-Animals
Nirvana-In Utero
Led Zeppelin-Presence
Talking Heads-Speaking In Tongues
System of a Down-Toxicity
Marilyn Manson-Antichrist Superstar
Soundgarden-Badmotorfinger
Public Enemy-Fear of a Black Planet
P.M. Dawn-Of the Heart, of the Soul, of the Cross: The Utopian Experience
Smashing Pumpkins-Siamese Dream

lots more if I was home to look

[RandomKoolzip]

22. Another typically smug list from me...

Trust me, I'm not trying to be obscure, these really are my picks for ten perfect albums:


1. Bee Thousand- Guided by Voices
2. Double Nickels on the Dime- Minutemen
3. Dead Dog's Eyeball: The Songs of Daniel Johnston- K. McCarty
4. The Harder They Come ost- various artists
5. Ben Folds Five- Ben Folds Five
6. White Album- Beatles
7. Third/Sister Lovers- Big Star
8. Trust- Elvis Costello and the Attractions
9. Everclear- American Music Club
10. Cheap Trick- Cheap Trick

All of these albums I'd consider to be as flawless as possible in terms of overall production, quality of songwriting, performance, emotion, and tightness. Very little filler on these albums, IMHO.

[BigMcLargehuge]

23. in no particular order

Radiohead: OK Computer. For a record that's 3 or 4 years old now I STILL listen to it at least once a day, and I bought it the DAY it came out.

The Who: Quadrophenia. Pete Townsend's best work as a composer.

Iron Maiden: Somewhere in Time. Their best work, every track is heavy metal perfection.

Roger Waters: the Pros and Cons of Hitchiking. Certainly Clapton's best guitar work and Waters best dark examination of bad relationships.

Pink Floyd: The Wall. So good it hurts.

Too Much Joy: Cereal Killers Pop-punk at its catchy best.

The Who: A Quick One (while he's away) Their best 60's era studio record.

Prodigy: Experience Set the standard for electronic music to follow.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Henry's Dream Just all around awesome dark human nature stuff.

Ministry: In case you did't feel like showing up. Best live record I've ever heard.

[Ellen Forradalom]

24. I don't have 10, but here are a few

Patti Smith: Horses
Wire: Pink Flag
Pere Ubu: The Modern Dance
Frank Zappa: We're Only In It For the Money

[leftist_rebel1569]

25. My list in no real order

"Lateralus" by Tool (There's simply NOTHING like it)
"Aenima" by Tool
"Undertow" by Tool
"Dirt" by Alice in Chains
"Superunknown" by Soundgarden
"Rage Against The Machine" by Rage Against The Machine
"White Pony" by the Deftones
"Interzone Mantras" by The Tea Party
"Herzeleid" by Rammstein
"Darkest Days" by Stabbing Westward