[fl00r]

IMO in music history there are some LP/CD’s that really made a difference in terms of originality. I’m not talking about the best albums ever in terms of sales figures but those that were a blueprint for many, many other albums. The albums that everybody who loves music should have in their collection. The Classic Albums. The most influenced albums. I don’t pretend my list is perfect so please feel free to add your ‘way point’ album. Here comes mine (in no particular order):

Beatles – Revolver
Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Nirvana – Nevermind
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks
Sex Pistols – Never mind the bollocks, here’s the sex pistols
The Smiths – The Queen is dead
Radiohead – OK Computer
U2 – The Joshua Tree

 

[Madcat05]

good list, except its Nirvana - Nevermind.

 

[fl00r]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madcat05 good list, except its Nirvana - Nevermind.

Shame on me

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

I would add Black Sabbath - s/t and Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny, unless of course this thread on refers to the most infuential albums of pop/rock. I won't even start the argument about WHICH Beatles album should be mentioned. I do think it's a bit presumptive to say that "everybody who loves music" shoud own these albums, I've heard all of the ones you listed, with one exception, and there's a fair number (slightly less than half) that I could care less if I ever heard again (oh god, one of them is Radiohead, you might as well disown me from society now

).

 

[SunByrne]

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
AC/DC - Back in Black
Yes - Fragile
Roxy Music - Avalon
Talking Heads - Remain in Light
the Clash - London Calling
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
Van Halen - Van Halen I

The very 80s additions:
Duran Duran - Rio
the Police - Synchronicity
the Pretenders - Learning to Crawl
New Order - Low-Life
Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair

Some Depeche Mode album should be here, but I'm not sure which one, maybe Some Great Reward?

And personally, while there's no doubt about its influence, I can't stand the Joshua Tree. I'd go with Unforgettable Fire.

 

[eyeteeth]

Some early favs

Rolling Stones-Out Of Our Heads 1965
The Doors-The Doors 1967
Jimi Hendrix-Are You Experienced 1967
Led Zeppelin-II 1969
David Bowie-Hunky Dory 1971
Alice Cooper-School's Out 1972
Elton John-Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 1973
Kiss-Alive 1975
The Ramones-The Ramones 1976

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer I would add Black Sabbath - s/t...

I concur! Also, where's Led Zeppelin?

 

[strohmie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunByrne Some Depeche Mode album should be here, but I'm not sure which one, maybe Some Great Reward?

I'd say that it should be one of the later albums...Black Celebration, Music for the Masses, or Violator. Violator was probably the most influential (and probably accessible), but I might go with Black Celebration instead.

 

[redshifter]

cream - disreali gears (1967)
"synchronicity" has the most impressive side b of any album i can think of.

 

[strike]

And how can you forget the Cure's "Disintegration?" We can't forget the goths...

Actually, maybe it would be more appropriate to step back a bit further and choose "Pornography."

Gotta have My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless" on here, and maybe Sunny Day Real Estate's "Diary."

I think "Violator" would probably be the best DM pick, since it was their most popular. Though "Black Celebration" is their best (in my opinion, of course).

 

[eyeteeth]

Four mainstream hard rock albums I recall having a really big impact were:
AC/DC-Back in Black 1980
Ozzy Osbourne-Blizzard of Oz 1980
Iron Maiden-Number of the Beast 1983
Guns & Roses-Appetite for Destruction 1987

 

[VicAjax]

can't forget Velvet Underground & Nico!

oh and Iggy & The Stooges - Raw Power

 

[bong]

OK, i'll play too.

The Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks
The Clash - London Calling
The Jam - All Mod Cons
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Public Image Ltd. - Metal Box / Second Edition
Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kaleidoscope
The Human League - Dare!
Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Dazzle Ships
New Order - Power Corruption and Lies
Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
The Cure - Disintegration
Happy Mondays - Pills 'N' Thrills and Bellyaches
Ride - Nowhere
Primal Scream - Screamadelica
Pet Shop Boys - Behaviour
Suede - Suede
Blur - Modern Life is Rubbish
James - Laid
Oasis - Definately Maybe
Elastica - Elastica
Pulp - Different Class
The Verve - Urban Hymns
Radiohead - OK Computer
Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
Travis - The Man Who
Coldplay - Parachutes
Ash - Free All Angels
Elbow - Asleep in the Back
The Doves - The Last Broadcast
Starsailor - Love is Here

i think that pretty much covers the UK indie side of things, the list is pretty much in chronological order and tracks the history of the UK indie scene fairly well... cheers.

 

[Asr]

On the electronic side of things:

The Crystal Method - Vegas
Massive Attack - Blue Lines (and Mezzanine?)
Orbital - more like their entire career than a single CD

The Prodigy - Fat of the Land

 

[elrod-tom]

As I'm thinking about this thread, I'm thinking it's not "albums that matter a lot", but "albums that really matter". So while there's a LOT of music floating around out there that is very good, how important it is as groundbreaking stuff is questionable. Having said that, here is my rather short list of stuff that really matters:

Beatles – Revolver
Beatles - Rubber Soul
Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
The Who - Who's Next
The Who - Quadrophenia
Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
The Doors - The Doors
The Clash - London Calling
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Alan Parsons Project - I Robot
Cream - Disraeli Gears
Elvis Costello - My Aim is True
Led Zepplin - I
The Sex Pistols - Nevermind the Bullocks...
Nirvana - Nevermind
The Pixies - Doolittle (see Nirvana)
Radiohead - OK Computer
U2 - The Unforgettable Fire

That's my list (for now)