Ten most essential basic rock and roll albums game.

brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,304
The object of the game:  Name what you believe are ten of the most essential rock and roll albums. 

The rules:
Your ten albums (no more, no less) must be records that were released as a whole unique album, not a collection, anthology, or "best of".
These albums should be as close to straight up rock and roll albums as possible- not prog, not metal, not psychedelia, not punk, not pop... rock and roll albums.
Don't just list your favorite albums.  Make you choice about the subject, not you personal preferences.
You may challenge another persons choice but be nice.  Yeah, OK, you can poke fun at me.  We'll allow that.
The winner is you, if you really try hard and come up with a good list.
Sometimes rules are dumb and rock and roll is about rebellion and breaking the rules.  Except here, sometimes.
Bonus points given for good explanations as to why you include each of your choices.

OK, easy game?  Not as easy as you might think.  I started off with a long list that I came up with that was more than ten.  A lot of great early rock and rollers were singles artists who only had albums pressed later as collections, so I had none by them.  Chuck Berry, Little Richard are good examples.  And I had eliminate some others because they were not really basic rock and roll.  For example:
-All Beach Boys records.  They are surf/pop, not basic rock and roll.
-All Beatles records:  They are pop, psychedelia.  None of their albums are primarily basic/ essential rock and roll.
-Jimi Hendrix:  Blues, psychedelia.
-Fleetwood Mac, Rumours  Great album, not basic rock and roll.

OK here's mine:

AC/DC  Back in Black:  Honestly, my least favorite on my list, but I had to eliminate Who's Next to keep within my one boundaries set here.

Bad Company:, Bad Company: With this album, these Brits brought solid rock and roll back into the mainstream.

Bo Diddley:  Bo Diddley:   One of the earliest straight up rock and roll albums that was not merely a collection.

Buddy Holiday and the Crickets: The Chirping Crickets  Buddy Holly.  Need I say more?

Creedence Clearwater Revival: Green River  Simple, direct, get up and move rock and roll.

Led Zeppelin: untitled (aka Led Zeppelin IV):  Almost too close to metal or hard rock but hey, one of the songs is "Rock and Roll"  Who's gonna argue that?

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Damn the TorpedoesTom blew the doors open here with this great rock and roll LP.

Elvis Presley: Elvis Presley (1956 debut):  Dubious choice because it is also rockabilly, blues, country and pop, but we needed to have Elvis in the house, right?

Ramones, Ramones:   Call it punk, it's still rock and roll to me.  The covers sure are!

The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers : Well alllllllllright. I had to include something from "the greatest rock and roll band in the world".  Pick one.


"Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

"Try to not spook the horse."
-Neil Young













Comments

  • LoujoeLoujoe Posts: 9,788
    Can't You Hear Me Knockin kills me everytime.
  • This requires too much thinking and too many rules Brian, lol.  And for that reason...
    Im Out GIF by ABC Network - Find amp Share on GIPHY

  • mfc2006mfc2006 HTOWN Posts: 37,483
    This requires too much thinking and too many rules Brian, lol.  And for that reason...
    Im Out GIF by ABC Network - Find amp Share on GIPHY

    haha!
    I LOVE MUSIC.
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  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,304
    edited December 2021
    This requires too much thinking and too many rules Brian, lol.  And for that reason...
    Im Out GIF by ABC Network - Find amp Share on GIPHY


    LOL
    But wait!  I did say this:  "Sometimes rules are dumb and rock and roll is about rebellion and breaking the rules." 
    You are right though, it sounds easy, but it does take a bit of thinking.
    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • brianlux said:
    This requires too much thinking and too many rules Brian, lol.  And for that reason...
    Im Out GIF by ABC Network - Find amp Share on GIPHY


    LOL
    But wait!  I did say this:  "Sometimes rules are dumb and rock and roll is about rebellion and breaking the rules." 
    You are right though, it sounds easy, but it does take a bit of thinking.
    I started racking my brain and saying well these guys are considered hard rock but it's definitely rock so I can add them and started to think of another that wasn't too metal or southern or bluesy and I gave up, lol...

    It's a really great question though as I think there is much to be discussed about the bands.
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,304
    brianlux said:
    This requires too much thinking and too many rules Brian, lol.  And for that reason...
    Im Out GIF by ABC Network - Find amp Share on GIPHY


    LOL
    But wait!  I did say this:  "Sometimes rules are dumb and rock and roll is about rebellion and breaking the rules." 
    You are right though, it sounds easy, but it does take a bit of thinking.
    I started racking my brain and saying well these guys are considered hard rock but it's definitely rock so I can add them and started to think of another that wasn't too metal or southern or bluesy and I gave up, lol...

    It's a really great question though as I think there is much to be discussed about the bands.

    What got me started with all this was reading the Allmusic review of Bad Company's first release- the self-titled Bad Company.  The review talks about that album as being an essential rock and roll record.  I have it, but hadn't heard it in a long time so I sat down and listened to the whole thing and thought, "Wow, yeah, that is a classic rock and roll album."  That led me to thinking, What are some others?  So I made this long list and pretty soon I was scratching off names left and right. 
    If you look at other list of "greatest rock and roll albums" you always see things like Sgt Peppers and Pet Sounds on them.   But those are really not rock and roll records in the classic sense.  They are great, for sure, but they really are not rock and roll.  So it took me a surprisingly long time to come up with ten essential rock and roll albums.  And my list could using refining, of that there is no doubt!
    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • Van Halen I has to be one.  If it wasn't for eruption there would be no AC/DC.  Plus it's just a good album.

    ZZ Top Eliminator.  You have the masters of the power chords on full display.

    Led Zep 2.  Sooooo many great rock songs on here.

    Queen A  night At The Opera.  Bohemin-friggin-rhapsody.

    Boston. Self Titled

    Pearl Jam Ten.  it ain't grunge, it's a damn rock band.

    I'll come up w more soon I promise.  I changed my mind and accepted the challenge.
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,304
    Van Halen I has to be one.  If it wasn't for eruption there would be no AC/DC.  Plus it's just a good album.

    ZZ Top Eliminator.  You have the masters of the power chords on full display.

    Led Zep 2.  Sooooo many great rock songs on here.

    Queen A  night At The Opera.  Bohemin-friggin-rhapsody.

    Boston. Self Titled

    Pearl Jam Ten.  it ain't grunge, it's a damn rock band.

    I'll come up w more soon I promise.  I changed my mind and accepted the challenge.

    You already came up with some good one.  Good show! 

    Yes about PJ being a rock band, not grunge (was it Eddie or Stone who said they hate that term?), but I don't think of them as rock and roll.

    Could be my original post definition was not as well stated as could be.  By "rock and roll". I mean albums that are tied closely to the roots- people like Elvis, Bo Diddly, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, and Eddie Cochran, and that are also rooted in blues (no blues = no rock and roll).  Classic Rolling Stones albums are obvious examples of classic rock and roll.

    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • PoncierPoncier Posts: 17,059
    Van Halen I has to be one.  If it wasn't for eruption there would be no AC/DC.  
    Well considering AC/DC predates Eruption by several years, gonna have to disagree with that premise.
    This weekend we rock Portland
  • Poncier said:
    Van Halen I has to be one.  If it wasn't for eruption there would be no AC/DC.  
    Well considering AC/DC predates Eruption by several years, gonna have to disagree with that premise.
    Angus Young was not finger tapping like on Who made Who until after Eruption came out.  Yes every guitar player did a tap here and there but nothing like what EVH did.  EVERY guitarist changed their style after that song.
  • LoujoeLoujoe Posts: 9,788
    Angus= OG headbanger. Non-stop flight to a sore neck. 
  • Loujoe said:
    Angus= OG headbanger. Non-stop flight to a sore neck. 
    True.  Still wearing that same outfit too, lol.

    For real though if you ever did see AC/DC live you got one hell of a show.
  • LoujoeLoujoe Posts: 9,788
    Saw them couple times. My first concert. Maybe fly on the wall? They had those cannons on the stage and i thrashed along the whole show. My bro took me with his friends and i was wondering about that cig they were passing. What a life!

    Will try to think up some essential rock albums later, not wanting to derail Mr. Lux's thoughtful thread.
  • LoujoeLoujoe Posts: 9,788
    killer rock record.
  • LoujoeLoujoe Posts: 9,788

  • LoujoeLoujoe Posts: 9,788

  • LoujoeLoujoe Posts: 9,788
    I kid.  
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,304
    Loujoe said:
    I kid.  

         
    Well now, there's an image to wake up to!  :lol:
    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • LoujoeLoujoe Posts: 9,788
    She's hot! The back cover is bad.
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,304
    Loujoe said:
    She's hot! The back cover is bad.

    I checked it out on Discogs.  Whoa, scary!  :lol:
    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • I love me some hardcore!
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