10. Don McLean - American Pie
This album is obviously known for its title-track, which is an amazing eight and a half minute folk rock epic. The song has been covered over and over again, but I think this original is by far the best one of them. This song, however, is not the only thing that makes this album great. The dark ballad, The Grave, is among the best folk ballads ever and Crossroads is one of the best piano pieces on the album. All in all, this is a great album full of great songs and if you, like me just a few years ago, have only heard the title-track, I encourage you to listen to the whole album. The main sound on the album is acoustic, but there are some fine band elements added to the production. McLean's voice is soft and beautiful and great for this type of music. Listen to the album on Spotify.
This album is mostly about one song really. The title track is a massive, over 20 minute, song of composing brilliance. Progressive rock may sometimes be a bit pretentious, but this song is just so amazingly brilliant that it deserves all the compliments in the world. There are many different parts in the song with very different moods. It goes from beautiful ballady vocal parts to explosive organ fights. The rest of the album is not bad, but it's not that interesting either. Greg Lake had left King Crimson for ELP and you can definitely hear the same brilliance here, as you could in King Crimson's first album. The album cover makes the other absurdities on prog-rock album covers look actually pretty sane. The tank-armadillo illustrates the psychedelic feast of rhythm changes and chord-progressions perfectly. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Again this album is on the list mainly because one amazing song. The title-track, Salisbury is over 16 minutes of absolute brilliance. Doom's day horns, brilliant walking bass, amazing guitar solos, great high-pitch singing and dark fairytale mood. There are some fairly good songs on the album as well, like the folk of Lady in Black or rock of High Priestess. Still, only the title-track is mind-blowing. The opening song Bird of Pray even sounds really ridiculous now, because of its high screams that were fashionable at the time in heavy rock. Uriah Heep was among the first metal bands, but you could hardly call this music metal anymore, since the sounds are closer to average rock these days. I used to listen to a whole lot of Uriah Heep as a teenager, but only this one album still impresses me. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Carole King is one of the most brilliant female singers of the 70's. Her music draws influences from R&B and folk. A lot of the songs on the album can also be found on albums made by other artists, but King's vocals make the songs her own. The production on I Feel the Earth Move is really great. You've Got a Friend is another one of my favourites, although I think James Taylor might even have a better version of this song. Tapestry is Carole King's best album with mood of stillness and relaxing. This is perfect music for lazy Sundays of hanging out inside as the sunlight shines from the windows on a cold winter day. Even the album cover captures that feeling of stillness and staying home with the cat. Tapestry might not be a masterpiece in original songs or compositions, but it's a treat to listen to. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Imagine is undoubtedly Lennon's most famous solo-career song. It's message may be naive, but it's still used, when people want to have a song for promoting peace. The best song on this album, however is Jealous Guy, which is actually one of the best songs written by Lennon ever. Lennon never succeeded in making as good albums by himself, as he managed to make them in the Beatles, but Imagine is one of the best in his solo career. The ending song Oh Yoko is of course a love song to Yoko Ono, but the melody and production in this song are just amazing and give me instant shivers down my spine. Lennon is one of the best songwriters that ever lived, but without McCartney, his albums lacked the genius production of the Beatles. Still there's something magical in Lennon's voice and songs. Listen to the album on Youtube.
Led Zeppelin's fourth album is probably the most legendary album by the band. It's been close to the top on many best ever albums lists. It's true that almost all of the songs from this album are legendary, but for me this is not the best album by Led Zeppelin. One reason may be that I've over played it in my life, but also there are some songs there that don't capture neither the rock attitude of the early albums or the skill of Houses of the Holy. Even so, songs like Battle of Evermore, Stairway to Heaven, Going to California and When the Levee Breaks are a work of a genius! The album is also usually known for the fact that it doesn't really have a proper name. It usually is referred to as number IV, but it is often also called
according to the symbols on the album cover. These symbols refer to the band members, which is known to anyone who's seen live footage from their amazing three hour gigs. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Janis Joplin is one of the best rock singers of all times. Her amazing voice is full of alcohol and cigarettes, that you need to have a broken voice like that. Pearl is her by far best album containing almost all her biggest hits. It was released posthumously, since Joplin died of an overdose of heroin. She was found dead when she failed to show up for a recording session. She's one of the 27 club members, who have died at the age of 27. Pearl is an amazing performance in bluesy rock. The band behind Joplin's terrific voice is also brilliant. The songs are quite heavy, laden with great guitar solos, blues pianos and wonderful bass lines. I don't know if Pearl would've been what it is know, had Joplin not died before its release, but it's one of the best rock albums of all times as it is. Listen to the album on Spotify.
Hunky Dory is in my opinion David Bowie's best album. The sounds are not as rough as on the subsequent albums and there's fine influences from theatrical musical songs and from folk included in the groundbreaking album of glam-rock. Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Kooks and Andy Warhol are all amazing songs, but the most amazing highlight is a beautiful ballad Life on Mars, which I think is one of the best songs ever made. David Bowie managed to create a whole new musical style on this album. He has some great songs before this album, but Hunky Dory was the first true glam-rock album full of theatrical charm and amazing songwriting. This album took David Bowie to the stardom that has lasted up until now. his career is full of great moments, but in my opinion, this is his best album. Listen to the album on Spotify.
For me, The Who has always meant this album. They obviously have some other amazing albums and songs as well, but Who's Next is their highest achievement. The album has great massive rock anthems with quirky little productional elements that separates it from other rock albums of the time. Baba O' Reilly and Won't Get Fooled Again are epic rock songs fit for stadium stages. Behind Blue Eyes is one of the greatest rock ballads of the era. I also love Bargain. The band is working beautifully. The Who is one of the most skilful bands of all times. Pete Townshend's guitar-work, Keith Moon's drumming, John Entwistle's bass-lines and Roger Daltrey's rock screams are all pretty amazing. I bought this album as a pre-teenager, without knowing too much of what it had to offer and that has been one of my best purchases ever. Listen to the album on Spotify.
The Doors had a short but amazing career in rock music. Their first and last albums are in my opinion their best ones. L.A. Woman shows a raunchy blues rock band full of attitude. Jim Morrison was at the time already a proper booze hound and drug addict, who couldn't be trusted to show up on gigs or recording sessions. Still they managed to make one of their career's best albums in those conditions. Morrison's voice is almost lost with all the boozing, but it fits perfectly in these great songs. Manzarek's blues organ is famous and probably one of the best ones of all times. Robby Krieger's guitar-work is also beautiful in songs like Love Her Madly and Riders on the Storm. The jam in the end of the title track is beyond compare. This is one of the best albums of all times! Listen to the album on Spotify.
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