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The albums on this list were chosen partly for their artistic achievement and influence.
I won't pretend that this is a particularly daring list of albums of the rock and roll era. The majority of these are in or around the core of the canon of contemporary music. But keep in mind, the most important factor in ranking and paring down this list of greatest LPs is the album's longevity, its ability to repeatedly induce a reaction like, "Damn that was good! That's what I'm talking about when I talk about good music, my friend." I can tell you honestly that all 100 of these albums still do that to me.
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- London Calling (1979)
The Clash
- The Band (1969)
The Band
- Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
Velvet Underground
- Armed Forces (1979)
Elvis Costello
- Pet Sounds (1966)
The Beach Boys
- Odessey & Oracle (1968)
The Zombies
- Remain in Light (1980)
Talking Heads
- Parallel Lines (1978)
Blondie
- Tapestry (1971)
Carole King
- I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You (1967)
Aretha Franklin
- Queen is Dead (1986)
The Smiths
- Astral Weeks (1968)
Van Morrison
- Rubber Soul (1965)
The Beatles
- Let It Bleed (1969)
Rolling Stones
- Peter Gabriel 3 (1980)
Peter Gabriel
- Hunky Dory (1971)
David Bowie
- Loveless (1991)
My Bloody Valentine
- Rumours (1977)
Fleetwood Mac
- OK Computer (1997)
Radiohead
- Horses (1976)
Patti Smith
- Blue (1971)
Joni Mitchell
- Daydream Nation (1988)
Sonic Youth
- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
Lauryn Hill
- White Blood Cells (2001)
The White Stripes
- The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (1972)
David Bowie
- Deja Vu (1970)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
- Sign 'O' The Times (1987)
Prince
- Graceland (1986)
Paul Simon
- White Light/White Heat (1968)
Velvet Underground
- Are Your Experienced? (1967)
Jimi Hendrix
- The Soft Bulletin (1999)
Flaming Lips
- Murmur (1983)
R.E.M.
- Innervisions (1973)
Stevie Wonder
- If You're Feeling Sinister (1997)
Belle and Sebastian
- The White Album (1968)
The Beatles
- Closer (1980)
Joy Division
- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
Wilco
- Third/Sister Lovers (1975)
Big Star
- Surrealistic Pillow (1967)
Jefferson Airplane
- Nas (1994)
Illmatic
- For Your Pleasure (1973)
Roxy Music
- Magnetic Fields (1999)
69 Love Songs
- Exile on Main Street (1972)
Rolling Stones
- Forever Changes (1967)
Love
- Born to Run (1975)
Bruce Springsteen
- Marquee Moon (1977)
Television
- Blood on the Tracks (1974)
Bob Dylan
- The Stone Roses (1989)
The Stone Roses
- Moondance (1970)
Van Morrison
- Surfer Rosa (1988)
The Pixies
- Highway 61 Revisted (1965)
Bob Dylan
- After the Gold Rush (1970)
Neil Young
- The Bends (1995)
Radiohead
- Pretenders (1980)
Pretenders
- Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)
Derek and the Dominoes
- Nevermind (1991)
Nirvana
- Odelay (1996)
Beck
- Dusty in Memphis (1969)
Dusty Springfield
- Sticky Fingers (1971)
Rolling Stones
- Bookends (1966)
Simon & Garfunkel
- Paul's Boutique (1989)
Beastie Boys
- Let It Be (1984)
The Replacements
- Pink Flag (1977)
Wire
- Blue Lines (1991)
Massive Attack
- Spiderland (1991)
Slint
- Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
Stevie Wonder
- Los Angeles (1980)
X
- Revolver (1966)
The Beatles
- Dummy (1994)
Portishead
- My Aim is True (1977)
Elvis Costello
- American Beauty (1970)
Grateful Dead
- Maggot Brain (1971)
Funkadelic
- Exodus (1977)
Bob Marley
- (What's The Story) Morning Glory (1995)
Oasis
- Who's Next (1971)
The Who
- What's Going On (1971)
Marvin Gaye
- Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (1969)
Neil Young
- New York Dolls (1973)
New York Dolls
- Maxinquaye (1995)
Tricky
- Entertainment! (1980)
Gang of Four
- Live Through This (1994)
Hole
- Blank Generation (1977)
Richard Hell & the Voidoids
- Exile in Guyville (1993)
Liz Phair
- Abbey Road (1969)
The Beatles
- Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Pink Floyd
- Synchronicity (1983)
The Police
- Double Nickels on the Dime (1989)
The Minutemen
- Thriller (1982)
Michael Jackson
- Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
Bruce Springsteen
- Like a Prayer (1989)
Madonna
- Violator (1990)
Depeche Mode
- Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)
Ray Charles
- Grace (1994)
Jeff Buckley
- Low (1977)
David Bowie
- Rio (1982)
Duran Duran
- Blonde on Blonde (1966)
Bob Dylan
- Endtroducing (1996)
DJ Shadow
- It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
Public Enemy
- To Bring You My Love (1995)
PJ Harvey
- Velvet Underground (1969)
Velvet Underground
This is a movable list. I change, add and remove items as I please. Last update: August 2005
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