Top 25 Classic rock Albums

I asked a friend what his top 10 classic rock albums were. He gave it much thought and could not in good conscience limit it to 10 albums. The list that follows is strictly his list of albums that he grew up to love from his young teen years. They are in order of importance to how strongly they affected him in his life, not necessarily how any other person would rate them.

25. Neil Young: Harvest

24. Led Zeppelin: II

23. Black Sabbath: Paranoid

22. David Bowie: Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars

21. Pink Floyd: Animals

20. Jefferson Airplane: Surrealistic Pillow

19. The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers

18. Derek and the Dominoes: Layla and other Assorted Love Songs

17.Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced

16. Led Zeppelin: Houses of the Holy

15. The Beatles: The Beatles (White Album)

14. Savoy Brown: Street Corner Talking

13. The Who: Who's Next

12. John Mayall: The Turning Point

11. The Doors: The Doors

10. Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon

9. The Zombies: Odessey and Oracle

8. Spirit: Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus

7. Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run

6. Bob Dylan: Blood On The Tracks

5. The Beatles: Revolver

4. The Allman Brothers Band: Live at Fillmore East

3. Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti

2. The Doors: Morrison Hotel

1. The Beatles: Rubber Soul

This friend admitted he cheated. He could not list just ONE album of the bands he listened to ALL THE TIME and had every single album every released by each (at that time). He did follow the guidelines and chose only music he listened to between the ages of 12 - 17.

1. Aladdin Sane, David Bowie
2. All of Bob Dylan
3. All of Bruce Springsteen
4. All of Led Zeppelin
5. All of The Doors
6. All of the Rolling Stones
7. Animals, Pink Floyd
8. Bad Co., Bad Company
9. Behind Blue Eyes, The Who
10. Blind Faith, Blind Faith
11. Concert for Bangladesh, George Harrison & Friends
12. Court and Spark, Joni Mitchell
13. Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd
14. Harvest, Neil Young
15. Imagine, John Lennon
16. Janis Joplin, Greatest Hits
17. Madman Across the Water, Elton John
18. Rumors, Fleetwood Mac
19. Simon & Garfunkle, Greatest Hits
20. Smokin, Humble Pie
21. Tapestry, Carole King
22. The Allman Brothers, Eat a Peach
23. What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye
24. Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd
25. Ziggy Stardust, David Bowie

This friend complained he couldn't do it because there are so many to choose from and his list would keep changing, so he said he would give a roundabout of his top ten in random order.

1. Led Zeppelin-Physical Graffiti
2. Rush-Moving Pictures
3. Yes-Close to the Edge
4. The Who-Who's Next
5. U2-The Joshua Tree
6. Blind Faith
7. Aerosmith-Rocks
8. The Beatles-The White Album
9. Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here
10.Queen-A Night at the Opera

This friend also admitted this was a toughie, but took a crack at it.

25. REO Speedwagon s/t debut (1971)
24. Styx The Grand Illusion (1976)
23. Tower of Power Back to Oakland (1974)
22. Dream Theater Awake (1993)
21. Queen A Night At the Opera (1976)
20. Bad Company s/t (1973)
19. Quicksilver Messenger Service s/t debut (1966)
18. Moody Blues Days of Future Passed (1967)
17. The Beatles Abbey Road (1969)
16. King Crimson Red (1975)
15. Al Kooper Easy Does It (1970)
14. Cold Chisel s/t debut (1978)
13. Hunters & Collectors Cut (1993)
12. Collective Soul s/t (1995)
11. The Verve Pipe Underneath (2000)
10. Bob Dylan Blood On the Tracks (1975)
9. Pink Floyd The Wall (1979)
8. Australian Crawl The Boys Light Up (1981)
7. Genesis Selling England By the Pound (1974)
6. The Who Who's Next (1970)
5. Def Leppard Hysteria (1987)
4. Toto Kingdom of Desire (1992)
3. Blood Sweat & Tears Child Is Father to the Man (1968)
2. Sons of Champlin Loosen Up Naturally (1969)
1. Chicago Transit Authority s/t (1969)

This friend also, understandably, had trouble putting them in order, because his favorites change with his moods. Here is what he can up with, in no paticular order.

1. Allman Brothers - Eat A Peach
2. Grateful Dead - Live/Dead
3. Doors - Morrison Hotel
4. Pink Floyd - Ummagumma
5. Led Zeppelin II
6. Hot Tuna - Burgers
7. Loggins & Messina - Sitting In
8. Springsteen - Wild, Innocent & the E-Street Shuffle
9. Beatles - Revolver
10. Allman Brothers - Live At Fillmore
11. Grateful Dead - Europe 72
12. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced
13. Savoy Brown - Street Corner Talking
14. Marshall Tucker Band - Where We All Belong
15. Duane Allman Anthology I
16. Derek & The Dominoes - Layla
17. Delaney & Bonnie & Friends
18. Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs & Englishmen
19. Chicago Transit Authority - debut
20. Paul Butterfield Blues Band - East-West
21. Poco - Picking Up The Pieces
22. Frank Zappa - Hot Rats
23. Yes - Close To The Edge
24. ELP - Trilogy
25. Beatles - White Album