I've thought about this a great deal, and I've come up with criteria that I apply for the "greatest" or favorite albums: 1. You have to enjoy every single song on it- doesn't mean you have to enjoy them equally, but you have to at least listen to them- there shouldn't be a song on there that you skip each time (this is why I couldn't have Synchronicity from the Police as my all-time favorite- I always skip Mother). 2. It has to have a powerful beginning. Take an album like All Things Must Pass. Terrific album, but begins with a very pedestrian, average song. It might be one of the favorites, but it couldn't be the best due to this. 3. It should have a great song as the ending. This is my issue with Bob Seger's Night Moves, one of my favorite CDs- but with a very average song "Mary Lou" to end it- he could have ended it so much better with Sunburst, or Main Street, or even Ship of Fools. 4. It has to be one that you just play over and over and over. You just never seem to get sick of it. Maybe temporarily, but you always go back to it. I have other personal criteria- lyrics should be great, a range of styles (at least a little bit), etc. There are a few CDs that, to me, pass all of the above criteria: U2- Achtung Baby Radiohead- OK Computer Rush- Power Windows REM- Murmur The Who- Who's Next The Beatles- Sgt. Pepper Derek & The Dominoes- Layla Prince- Purple Rain ELO- Out of the Blue The Rolling Stones- Sticky Fingers Marvin Gaye- What's Going On Van Morrison- Astral Weeks But there is only one CD I consider perfect: Bruce Springsteen- Born To Run
So many contenders. In no particular order... Lola vs. Powerman by The Kinks Just Another Band from L.A. by Zappa and the Mothers Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys KISS Alive II Back in Black by AC/DC Bright Flight by The Silver Jews Blue by Joni Mitchell Who by Numbers by The Who Off the Wall by Michael Jackson Doolittle by Pixies Don't be Scared by Daniel Johnston Songs from a Room by Leonard Cohen XO by Elliott Smith Jim Croce's Greatest Hits Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles Graceland by Paul Simon Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie Loaded by Velvet Underground The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Gil-Scot Heron Get Happy by Elvis Costello I'd hate to post in this thread without naming at least those albums which sprung so quickly to my mind when considering the question. But the answer is: Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
First album I ever had of my own. Still remember my mom handing it to me saying "this was mine now it's yours" I must have played this record thousands of times, couldn't get enough.
Damn, not a single mention of Cheap Trick? That's like me not mentioning The Police or Surfguy not mentioning Rush or Googlerux not mentioning DMB. Wait a minute...I didn't mention The Police. No, no....I won't do it. I'm sticking with the rules. Rush Exit...Stage Left. Still my favorite album of all time. The YYZ solo literally changed my life forever.
Kind of surprised no one has put Thriller. Although I personally like Dangerous better, there is no denying Thriller is a definitive achievement.
