The Most Essential Albums/Artists of All Time.....?

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

First - sorry if this thread already exists....but I didn't see one after searching for about 10 minutes so I figured there wasn't one.

With that said.....what do you consider the most essential albums/artists of all time? So these albums or artists may not be your personal favorite....but you can see the value in why many people would consider these albums essential or should listen to them.

Any genre, Rock, Rap, R&B, Country, Soul, Blues, Dance, Techno, Opera, Classic....any genre at all.

If you feel an artists entire, or most of their body of work, Beatles, Stones, Dylan, Marley, etc. would warrant at least one listen through, then feel free to just mention that artist. But if you feel that only maybe certain albums, or only one album would be worth of being deemed essential, then please feel free to mention just that album.

If some reason could be provided as well, that would be a bonus.


Have fun!

**edit pending with my selections**


Michael Jackson - Off the Wall - Very much his coming of age as a solo artist album.
Michael Jackson - Thriller - Redefined the music video generation, the best selling album of all time and possibly Michael at the top of his craft musically and as an entertainer.
Johnny Cash - Live At Folsom Prison - He made inmates cry and recorded this album with no one really thinking it would be much of a success.
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back - Arguably and imho, there has been no other rap group to be as politically motivated, thought conscious and do so with well written rhymes, arguably the greatest rap album of all time.




More to come, but here are also some artists that either should be considered for at least one of their albums I have come up with.

Jackson 5
Michael Jackson
Joan Jett
The Runaways
Green Day
Guns N Roses
Rolling Stones
The Doors
Smokey Robinson
Al Green
Marvin Gaye
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rage Against The Machine
Oasis
Prince
Public Enemy
Bob Dylan
The Clash
The Who
Pink Floyd
Cream
Eric Clapton
Velvet Underground
Jimi Hendrix
Nirvana
Van Morrison
Chuck Berry
John Lennon
Stevie Wonder
James Brown
Fleetwood Mac
U2
Led Zeppelin
AC/DC
Joni Mitchell
Pearl Jam
Bob Marley
Ramones
David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
The Eagles - Hotel California
Muddy Waters
Sex Pistols
John Coltrane
Simon & Garfunkel
Ray Charles
Sly & The Family Stone
Otis Redding
Smashing Pumpkins
The Zombies - Odessey & Oracle
Paul Simon
Johnny Cash
Elton John
Miles Davis
Creedence Clear Water Revival
Frank Sinatra
Sublime
Bjork
Radiohead
Stone Temple Pilots
The Strokes
Weezer
Foo Fighters
Coldplay

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

London Calling
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars

 

[chamber-music]

I would say

The Clash - London Calling (as well)

The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground (really influencial album placed by the Libary of Congress in the National Recordings Registry)

Blondie - Paralle Lines (is one of the best selling albums of all time and seen as a classic. Bands were still copying the sounds of this album six years after it came out)

The Zombies – Odyssey And Oracle (one of the most underrated British Invasion bands but a classic album)

Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love (Kate Bush influenced in one way or another every female singer song writer over the last 30 years and this is her best album.)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/mar/31/kate-bush-inspires-female-artists

Gang Of Four – Entertainment (among Rolling Stones 500 greatest albums of all time, influenced the red hot chili peppers, bloc party and every funky indie, rock or punk band who ever heard the album)

The Fall – The Nations Saving Grace (Amazing album)

Marvin Gaye - Whats Going On (Socially conscious concept album that dealed with drug abuse, war, poverty, enviromentalism and more)

The Cure, The Smiths, David Bowie, Howlin Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Bob Marley, Steve Wonder deserve a shout too although I don't know which album I woud pick from them.

 

[SpeterMan3]

Marvin Gaye - Whats Going On (Socially conscious concept album that dealed with drug abuse, war, poverty, enviromentalism and more)

James Brown
Jackie Wilson (who, by the way, kissed my Grandma and almost got knocked out by by Grandpa, who was a boxer...)
Michael Jackson... and without the above (and many others) Michael wouldn't have been the same.

 

[childeroland]

The Move
Violent Femmes
The Beatles--particularly Sgt Pepper, The White Album, Rubber Soul, and Revolver
Leonard Cohen--particularly Songs of Love and Hate
Lou Reed--particularly Transformer
Beach Boys
Brian Wilson/Beach Boys--Smile
Syd Barrett
Pink Floyd
Chuck Berry
Joni Mitchell

 

[The Chairman]

Frank Sinatra - In the Wee Small Hours (arguably the first concept album, a series of songs with a unifying theme flawlessly sung and arranged)
The Beatles - Abbey Road (as good a swan song as you can get, with each Beatle's talents represented ably throughout the 17 tracks.)
Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks (set the benchmark in confessional songwriting. While it's not the album associated with the general public image of Dylan - the mysterious, drug addled hero of the 1960s' counterculture - it's probably the most accessible record he ever made and, in my opinion, his best.)
The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (Stylistically diverse, and bridges the gap between the Brian Jones and Mick Taylor eras beautifully.)
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (while I think Tunnel of Love and Nebraska are better albums, nothing gets to the heart of Springsteen as a writer better than this seminal 1975 record.)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (just a great pop record, really.)
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life (The rare double album with no gratuitous moments. Every song is a revelation, a culmination of the brilliant run Wonder was on in the early to mid 1970s'.)
The Clash - London Calling (the pinnacle of punk, combining wreckless abandonment with intelligent, well crafted songwriting and musicianship.)
Led Zeppelin - ZOSO ("Stairway" is overrated, but it's earned its place in the rock pantheon, and the rest of the album is incredibly strong despite being similarly overexposed to the casual rock fan.
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (another poster exemplified why it's such an important record pretty well.)
The Who - Who's Next (most critics may give the nod to either of their rock operas, but Who's Next is free from any sense of overachieving some grander form of rock music and is an all pit, balls to the wall aural assault.)
Elton John - Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (the best autobiographical record ever.)
Billy Joel - Turnstiles (strong, reflective writing mixed with excellent pop sensibilities.)
Paul Simon - Graceland (incredibly revolutionary, probably the best record of the 1980s', a decade with very little significant ground being broken compared to previous decade.)
Guns 'N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction (made rock music dangerous again after being watered down by hair metal and new wave.)
Nirvana - Nevermind (pulled the plug on the already dying Hair metal craze and ushered the era of grunge.)
Bob Marley - Exodus (put reggae in the mainstream.)
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (Blonde on Blonde and The Beatles' post-1966 albums never would have opened.)

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Thanks so far for the contributions I think I am going to start adding these to my initial post.

 

[craigdbfan]

Madonna no doubt.

I'm not even a fan but I somehow know her entire catalog, thanks to my mom always playing her songs probably.

 

[nimrodson]

Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me
Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
Outkast - Aquemini
Beck - Odelay
The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Pixies - Surfer Rosa, Doolittle
Hank Williams Sr. - Any one of the many compilations
NIN - The Downward Spiral
The Stooges - The Stooges, Funhouse
Tom Waits -Rain Dogs
Melvins - Houdini
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted, Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
The Clash - The Clash
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation, Sister
Fugazi - 13 Songs
Wilco -Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

A mix of some old, new, & new(er).

 

[ComicChick]

Rumours - Fleetwood Mac

 

[TheIncredibleSk]

Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt, The BluePrint 1
Biggie Life after death
Tupac All eyes on me

 

[nimrodson]

Yes! Definitely Rumours. Good choice no doubt.

 

[Resistance61513]

Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Depeche Mode

I'll try and think of some. Really cool topic!

Trent Reznor though, as an artist, really revolutionized the music industry. He is the sole reason why artists are looking into digitally formatting their CD's/allowing fans to decide how much they pay for a CD/record.

He is the inspiration behind Radiohead's whole "let fans name their price" campaign. He originally started it with a collaboration CD with Saul Williams titled "The Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust". He gave fans the option...

Get the record for free or donate five dollars to support the artist. Donating five dollars gave you a better quality version because you actually got the MP3 files. Unfortunately, to his dismay, a lot of people took the free option and didn't care about the artist.

But Trent, honestly, is an idealist. He realizes that records aren't what is going to make you money. What makes you money in the industry is selling merchandise/touring. Records are the thing of the past. What you should want to do, as an artist, is get your stuff out anyway you can so that its heard. That way, more people will attend your shows if they like what you're putting out.

He should definitely make it onto your list. As well as The Cure and Depeche Mode. All three bands have made phenomenal contributions to the industry and a lot of bands sight them as inspirations.

 

[The Morningstar]

The Doors - The Doors, Morrison Hotel
Eric B and Rakim - Paid in Full

 

[TheOnlyOmega]

The Velvet Underground- The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Clash- London Calling
Guns N Roses- Appetite for Destruction, Use Your Illusions 1 & 2
The Jimi Hendrix Experience- Are You Experienced?
N.W.A.- Straight Outta Compton
Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

 

[edward nygma]

the prodigy - fat of the land (not my favo. prodigy album since im more of a experience fan but it is an essential album, and a period piece)
MADVILLAIN - MADVILLAINY !! (as a hiphop fan this is a classic, great beats, great rhymes and an unique work when it comes to hiphop MASTERPIECE !!)
Chemical Brothers - Exit Planet Dust (do i have to say more, its the same things as "fat of the land" great period piece !!)
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs/Mule Variations (cant choose between those 2 they are both great)
Depeche Mode - Ultra (dont know if this is an essential album from them but it is a great record, its the more dark side of the group)
The Cure - Seventeen Seconds (my favo. record of them, great mood from the 1st track to the end.. + it has "A Forest" )
SENSER - STACKED UP !! (my favo. hiphop/rock/metal/house group ever.. better then all those limp bizkits/linkin parks etc.)

there are a $#!t load of albums im forgetting but this is the first list

 

[LegendaryCaleb]

Anything by The White Stripes.

 

[howl]

Metallica - most fans will say Master of Puppets, but i'm on a Ride the Lightning high at the moment
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Bathory - Under the Sign of the Black Mark
Danzig - Danzig
Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
Slayer - Reign in Blood
Machine Head - Burn My Eyes

 

[DACrowe]

The most obvious first:

....But moving on here are some other must have/listens:

Nirvana's Nevermind. Can't post picture for hype standard reasons.

I could keep going, but that feels like a good place to stop.

 

[jjgravitas]

In no particular order,

• Sheila Chandra
• Monsoon
• The Pretenders
• Ray Davies
• Jimi Hendrix
• Negativgland
• Emerson Lake and Palmer
• Beatles
• Pink Floyd
• Shonen Knife
• Heart
• Moody Blues
• Flying Lizards
• Thrill Kill Kult
• Ravi Shankar
• Cream
• Who
• Yardbirds
• King Crimson
• Bob Dylan
• Spinal Tap
• The Rutles
• The Mahavishnu Orchestra
• The Time
• Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band
• L7
• Nine Inch Nails
• Peter Gabriel
• Bonzo Dog Band
• White Zombie
• Liz Phair
• k.d. lang
• Confederate Railroad (the humorous stuff, not the weepy jesus/mama/i-hate-myself stuff)
• Joan Jett

 

[jjgravitas]

• Tori Amos
• Alannah Myles
• Bananarama
• Bangles
• Breeders
• Sheila Chandra / Monsoon
• Enigma
• Eurythmics
• Fanny (early 70s all-female rock band, did a great version of Hey Bulldog)
• Debbie Harry / Blondie
• Heart
• Joan Jett
• k.d. lang
• Kate Bush
• Kelly Willis
• Krisha Chakravarty
• L7
• Joni Mitchell (I always preferred her rendition of the song Woodstock - haunting)
• Liz Phair
• Pretenders
• Portishead
• Bonnie Raitt
• Shangri-Las
• Waitresses
• Wanda Jackson
• Ten thousand Maniacs

 

[Motown Marvel]

are we really going to trust people here to be able to differentiate between "essential" and "favorite/popular"?

 

[DACrowe]

are we really going to trust people here to be able to differentiate between "essential" and "favorite/popular"?

I was focusing on influential. The ones that changed the game and the way people either made or listened to music (both in the Beatles' case). For that, there needs to be some degree of popularity or at least decades-long cult status.

I don't feel like searching for more album covers but a few more names I'd add:

-The Beatles
-Bob Dylan
-The Rolling Stones
-Janis Joplin
-Jimi Hendrix
-The Temptations
-Smokey Robinson
-Led Zeppelin
-Black Sabbath
-Iggy Pop
-Queen
-David Bowie
-Pink Floyd
-The Clash
-The Ramones
-Alice Cooper
-NWA
-Run DMC
-Guns 'N Roses
-Michael Jackson
-Joan Jett
-Red Hot Chili Peppers
-Nirvana
-Pearl Jam
-Green Day
-Eminem

Now I favorite artists and albums not on that list, but these are the ones that spring to mind that had a before-and-after effect on music. I can like Dead Kennedys or love Mott the Hoople and Suzie Quantro, but that is not what this thread is about to my understanding.

 

[The Morningstar]

Massive Attack- Mezzanine
Leftfield- Leftism
Leftfield- Rhythm and Stealth

You've all probably heard a lot of the songs off these albums. They are used in a lot of commercials, tv shows and films. Like these two for example.

 

[returntovoid]

Blues-Rock/Heavy Psych/Blues:

Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton by Bluesbreakers
Are You Experienced? by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Disraeli Gears by Cream
Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Wheels of Fire by Cream
Truth by Jeff Beck Group
Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin

Classic Rock:

Beggars Banquet by The Rolling Stones
Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones
Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin
Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath
Paranoid by Black Sabbath
Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones
Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin
Master of Reality by Black Sabbath
Exile On Main Street by The Rolling Stones
Black Sabbath Vol. 4 by Black Sabbath
Houses of the Holy by Led Zeppelin
Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin