The Rock Album

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Having scored a left-field breakthrough with the pop-friendly Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Robert Smith turned the other direction, reportedly dabbled in acid, and returned The Cure to its gothic roots. The result was the band’s darkest and most daring album – and perversely enough, one that stands as their greatest. 49: Metallica – Master of Puppets The double album "Electric Ladyland" was the last studio album recorded by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. It was made in London and New York amid Hendrix's tours. It had the hit "All Along the Watchtower," in which Hendrix improvised, using a cigarette lighter as a guitar slide.

The wonder of the Replacements was that they could play a glorious shamble of a live show, then go home and write an anthem for the ages. By now Paul Westerberg’s songs were evincing self-doubt, sympathy, and dogged hope (all three on “I Will Dare”), and they could still come up with a hilarious aside or two. 44: Van Halen – Van Halen Music industry professionals refer to it as Difficult Second Album Syndrome, the condition whereby an emerging artist storms into the spotlight with their first album and then discovers that, after 18 months on tour promoting said release, they have no idea what to do for an encore. With Ride The Lightning, Metallica had no such problems. Christian Death - The Dark Age Renaissance Collection Part 3: The Age Of Decadence Box Set (Season Of Mist) One thing we’ll say without hesitation: Every one of these albums is worth a listen, whether you’re discovering it for the first time or reconnecting with a longtime favorite. 100: Blink-182 – Enema of the State

9: Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction

Running Wild - Blood On Blood (SPV/Steamhammer)Watchtower - Control And Resistance Re-Release (Dissonance) The Velvet Underground" was the self-titled third album by the avant garde Velvet Underground, whose members included the late Lou Reed. The album was made following the departure of band founder and composer John Cale. Reed wrote its haunting love song "Pale Blue Eyes," which has been widely covered, with well-known versions by such artists as Patti Smith and R.E.M. Metallica’s second album is, indisputably, a masterpiece. In terms of songwriting, dynamics, musicianship and lyrical depth, Ride The Lightning is such a huge step on from the raw aggression of Kill ‘Em All, that it could be the work of a different band entirely. Which, in effect, it was: when Cliff Burton and Kirk Hammett joined the band on bass and lead guitar respectively, their debut album - save for Burton’s solo showcase Anaethesia (Pulling Teeth)– had already been written. Dream Theater - Lost Not Forgotten Archives: A Dramatic Tour of Events - Select Board Mixes (InsideOut)

Appetite for Destruction" was the debut album for Guns N' Roses. Reviewers said it was the perfect mix of blues, swinging rhythm, and the soulful, charismatic lead vocals of Axl Rose. Its popularity grew slowly, taking almost a year to reach the top of the chart at Billboard. The Zombies recorded "Odessey and Oracle" at Abbey Road Studios after the Beatles finished recording "Sgt. Pepper." Guitarist and vocalist Chris White said the band members only had a thousand pounds among them to make the album. Its single "Time of the Season," with its recognizable opening bass notes and breathy vocals, remains hugely popular.Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" on "Hounds of Love" was the first U.S. hit for Britain's Kate Bush. The album took her two years to write, compose, and create, using piano, synthesizers, and traditional Irish instruments. Year: 1995

"The Bends" was Radiohead's second album. Some of its songs were recorded at a studio owned by British billionaire Richard Branson, and others were done at London's Abbey Road Studios. "The Bends" was better received by critics than the debut Pablo Honey had been, but none of its songs matched the success of "Creep," the hit single from the first album.

#19. 'The Queen is Dead' by The Smiths

- Best Ever Albums score: 48,928
Year: 2000

For "Kid A," Radiohead added drum machines, synthesizers, and an ondes martenot, an instrument invented in the 1920s that has an oscillating sound not unlike a theremin. Ahead of the album's release, Radiohead made it available for online streaming. Even so, it went platinum in its first week, debuted at the top of U.S. charts, and was awarded a Grammy for best alternative album.

#4. 'Revolver' by The Beatles

- Best Ever Albums score: 76,868
Smashing Pumpkins' success exploded with the release of "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness," 28 songs that stretched from punk to folk. It produced the hits "Bullet With Butterfly Wings,""Tonight, Tonight,""Thirty-Three," and "1979," which would become the band's biggest U.S. hit.

Radiohead’s triumph here was to revive the multi-layered concept album, one that demanded you put on headphones, ponder all the musical surprises, and absorb its take on modern alienation. And wouldn’t you know it, this wilfully noncommercial album produced their biggest singles, at least in the UK, and remains a classic. 15: Prince & the Revolution – Purple Rain The Bends" was Radiohead's second album. Some of its songs were recorded at a studio owned by British billionaire Richard Branson, and others were done at London's Abbey Road Studios. "The Bends" was better received by critics than the debut Pablo Honey had been, but none of its songs matched the success of "Creep," the hit single from the first album. Year: 1969

"The Velvet Underground" was the self-titled third album by the avant garde Velvet Underground, whose members included the late Lou Reed. The album was made following the departure of band founder and composer John Cale. Reed wrote its haunting love song "Pale Blue Eyes," which has been widely covered, with well-known versions by such artists as Patti Smith and R.E.M.

#88. 'Rain Dogs' by Tom Waits

- Best Ever Albums score: 16,048


Year: 1972

"Harvest" was the first hit album for Canada's Neil Young, with help from Nashville session musicians, the London Symphony Orchestra, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, and his former bandmates David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash. It features the huge hit "Heart of Gold," along with "Old Man" and "The Needle and the Damage Done." Young later wrote: "'Heart of Gold' put me in the middle of the road. Travelling there soon became a bore, so I headed for the ditch. A rougher ride, but I saw more interesting people there."

#86. 'Close to the Edge' by Yes

- Best Ever Albums score: 16,251
Year: 1994

Portishead embraced the sound that came to be called trip-hop with its debut album "Dummy." The influential album won Britain's prestigious 1995 Mercury Music Prize.

#67. 'After the Gold Rush' by Neil Young

- Best Ever Albums score: 19,969
Of course, it could still be argued that embarking on a project like this is increasingly difficult in an era of streaming and fragmented taste. But that was part of what made rebooting the RS 500 fascinating and fun; 86 of the albums on the list are from this century, and 154 are new additions that weren’t on the 2003 or 2012 versions. The classics are still the classics, but the canon keeps getting bigger and better. Written By