The 100 Greatest Classic Rock Albums of All Time: #1. Sticky Fingers (2 Viewers)

[Raging weasel]

I bought Bat Out of Hell in the early 80's thinking it was a metal album because of the cover. Boy was I disappointed

 

[Anarchy99]

I bought Bat Out of Hell in the early 80's thinking it was a metal album because of the cover. Boy was I disappointed

In The Land Of The Pig, The Butcher Is King from Bat Out Of Hell III is metal-lite.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

My stations ignored most of LZ III except (of course) for Immigrant Song. On rare occasions they might play Gallows Pole or That's the Way. They played Immigrant Song's B-side, Hey, Hey, What Can I Do, much more often than the non-Immigrant tracks on LZ III.

I would get Two Out of Three Ain't Bad on those stations more often than anything else from Bat out of Hell other than Paradise. Paradise, Bat Out of Hell and You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth were in heavy rotation on early MTV even though the album came out 4 years before the debut of MTV (and 5 years before my family got it).

 

[Uruk-Hai]

My stations ignored most of LZ III except (of course) for Immigrant Song. On rare occasions they might play Gallows Pole or That's the Way. They played Immigrant Song's B-side, Hey, Hey, What Can I Do, much more often than the non-Immigrant tracks on LZ III.

Same in my neck of the woods.

You had a couple from each of the first two LPs, "Immigrant"/"HHWCID", all of ZoSo, and a few from both HOTH & PG. The early classic rock channels in DC & Baltimore didn't play anything from the last two albums (unless is was special programming of some sort) except "Fool In The Rain" and "All Of My Love - both much less frequently than the earlier songs (AOR was a different story).

 

[Ghost Rider]

I can't say I ever listen to Bat out of Hell from start to finish, but the title track is still a beast, and I think I still know every lyric to Paradise by the Dashboard Light; I will stand by that as being a timeless classic, shtick and the whole ball of wax, as it's just a fun song.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I can't say I ever listen to Bat out of Hell from start to finish, but the title track is still a beast

A few years ago we had a topic about artists who never topped the first song off their first album. This song was definitely mentioned.

 

[timschochet]

49. The Doors- The Doors (1967)

Classic rock radio hits: Light My Fire, Break On Through (To The Other Side), Back Door Man, Twentieth Century Fox, Alabama Song (Whisky Bar), The End

The Doors debut album offered a darker sound for rock music that the public hadn’t heard. (The Velvet Underground &Nico had come out two years earlier with an even darker sound, but very few people ever heard it.)
The band’s popularity was largely due to the star power and charisma of Jim Morrison, but the key to the music was Ray Manzarak, who played organ, co-wrote the tunes and produced the album.

Break On Through (To The Other Side)
The bands first single and it basically exploded as something new on the radio. Over 50 years later it sounds a little dated but still very original.

Soul Kitchen
One of my favorite Doors songs, probably because I love the version by X on their debut record (also produced by Ray Manzarek). Learn to forget…

The Crystal Ship
Slow psychedelia. A better listen when you’re, um, under certain influences.

Twentieth Century Fox
Smartly written 60s rock. Really catchy stuff.

Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
This would be a forgettable piece of vaudeville except Morrison somehow gives it a really menacing and disturbing edge.

Light My Fire
The band’s signature song and one of the gigantic tunes of classic rock. The organ solo lasts a long time but I’m never annoyed by it. And Manzarak’s lead riff is amazing.

Back Door Man
The band at their bluesiest (at least on this album.) Morrison gets a little wild with his vocals here:

I Looked At You
Even what would be the most forgettable deep cuts for any other band are somehow interesting here because of the presentation. Like Alabama, Morrison’s vocals plus the keyboard makes this scary.

End of the Night
I wrote above that very few people ever listed to the Velvet Underground. But I strongly suspect that those few people included The Doors.

Take It As It Comes
Manzarak really takes off here even more than on Light My Fire.

The End
A lot of folks really love this song, regard it as the best thing this band ever did. I find it very pretentious. I like it in short snippets. Unfortunately it’s a very long tune and I’m rarely in the mood to hear the whole thing.

 

[Doug B]

Light My Fire
The band’s signature song and one of the gigantic tunes of classic rock. The organ solo lasts a long time but I’m never annoyed by it. And Manzarak’s lead riff is amazing.

"Now remember, boys ... right before the chorus, you gotta sing 'Babe we couldn't get much better'. Better, ya see, not 'higher.' The kids out there ... they're impressionable, ya see."

"Yes, sir, Mister Sullivan! We wouldn't want to impress upon any kids out there in the TV audience!"

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[Mr. Mojo]

49. The Doors- The Doors (1967)

Classic rock radio hits: Light My Fire, Break On Through (To The Other Side), Back Door Man, Twentieth Century Fox, Alabama Song (Whisky Bar), The End

The Doors debut album offered a darker sound for rock music that the public hadn’t heard. (The Velvet Underground &Nico had come out two years earlier with an even darker sound, but very few people ever heard it.)
The band’s popularity was largely due to the star power and charisma of Jim Morrison, but the key to the music was Ray Manzarak, who played organ, co-wrote the tunes and produced the album.

Break On Through (To The Other Side)
The bands first single and it basically exploded as something new on the radio. Over 50 years later it sounds a little dated but still very original.

Soul Kitchen
One of my favorite Doors songs, probably because I love the version by X on their debut record (also produced by Ray Manzarek). Learn to forget…

The Crystal Ship
Slow psychedelia. A better listen when you’re, um, under certain influences.

Twentieth Century Fox
Smartly written 60s rock. Really catchy stuff.

Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
This would be a forgettable piece of vaudeville except Morrison somehow gives it a really menacing and disturbing edge.

Light My Fire
The band’s signature song and one of the gigantic tunes of classic rock. The organ solo lasts a long time but I’m never annoyed by it. And Manzarak’s lead riff is amazing.

Back Door Man
The band at their bluesiest (at least on this album.) Morrison gets a little wild with his vocals here:

I Looked At You
Even what would be the most forgettable deep cuts for any other band are somehow interesting here because of the presentation. Like Alabama, Morrison’s vocals plus the keyboard makes this scary.

End of the Night
I wrote above that very few people ever listed to the Velvet Underground. But I strongly suspect that those few people included The Doors.

Take It As It Comes
Manzarak really takes off here even more than on Light My Fire.

The End
A lot of folks really love this song, regard it as the best thing this band ever did. I find it very pretentious. I like it in short snippets. Unfortunately it’s a very long tune and I’m rarely in the mood to hear the whole thing.

The first album I got as a kid (present from my uncle) and still an all time favorite. The Crystal Ship might be their best deep album cut.

 

[Anarchy99]

Not sure what to make of The Doors here. In my world, there would probably be a couple other Doors albums on my list, with their first album being the highest ranked among them. Their debut is generally considered their master work, so not sure if that means we are done with the Doors or if one of their other efforts somehow trumps the first release.

 

[zamboni]

Light My Fire
The band’s signature song and one of the gigantic tunes of classic rock. The organ solo lasts a long time but I’m never annoyed by it. And Manzarak’s lead riff is amazing.

"Now remember, boys ... right before the chorus, you gotta sing 'Babe we couldn't get much better'. Better, ya see, not 'higher.' The kids out there ... they're impressionable, ya see."

"Yes, sir, Mister Sullivan! We wouldn't want to impress upon any kids out there in the TV audience!"

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Good stuff. Oliver Stone totally overemphasized Jim’s “higher” in the movie.

https://youtu.be/61m_Dm44RHA?si=pK8HIJAbZSBembLI (2:35 mark)

 

[zamboni]

The Crystal Ship might be their best deep album cut.

Agreed - just wish it wasn’t so short.

 

[timschochet]

Not sure what to make of The Doors here. In my world, there would probably be a couple other Doors albums on my list, with their first album being the highest ranked among them. Their debut is generally considered their master work, so not sure if that means we are done with the Doors or if one of their other efforts somehow trumps the first release.

I don’t regard this album as their best.

 

[Anarchy99]

Not sure what to make of The Doors here. In my world, there would probably be a couple other Doors albums on my list, with their first album being the highest ranked among them. Their debut is generally considered their master work, so not sure if that means we are done with the Doors or if one of their other efforts somehow trumps the first release.

I don’t regard this album as their best.

To each his own. I will be interested to see which one(s) you like better. The first album had 8-9 tracks that got heavy radio airplay. All of their albums are very strong, but their other efforts had 5-ish songs that got radio play. Their debut album has five-star ratings by both critics and fans (and was their best-selling effort). I understand that not everyone will like the most played or most popular albums the most (I would fall in that category for PF or LZ). In The Doors case, I can (and often do) throw on the first album and just let it play. Their other albums have some tracks I usually skip over.

 

[timschochet]

Not sure what to make of The Doors here. In my world, there would probably be a couple other Doors albums on my list, with their first album being the highest ranked among them. Their debut is generally considered their master work, so not sure if that means we are done with the Doors or if one of their other efforts somehow trumps the first release.

I don’t regard this album as their best.

To each his own. I will be interested to see which one(s) you like better. The first album had 8-9 tracks that got heavy radio airplay. All of their albums are very strong, but their other efforts had 5-ish songs that got radio play. Their debut album has five-star ratings by both critics and fans (and was their best-selling effort). I understand that not everyone will like the most played or most popular albums the most (I would fall in that category for PF or LZ). In The Doors case, I can (and often do) throw on the first album and just let it play. Their other albums have some tracks I usually skip over.

I get it.

As I wrote when I stated this, the order of my picks is going to generate some controversy as I don’t always agree with the general consensus. But let’s put it this way: if an album even makes this list, especially in the top 60, that means it’s an incredible album IMO. If it makes the top 40 then that means it could easily be regarded as the greatest album of all time.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Not only did my stations play the tracks yours did, they also played Soul Kitchen and The Crystal Ship. The Doors were everywhere in the '80s.

 

[Doug B]

Good stuff. Oliver Stone totally overemphasized Jim’s “higher” in the movie.

https://youtu.be/61m_Dm44RHA?si=pK8HIJAbZSBembLI (2:35 mark)

Ah, I had forgotten that in the movie it wasn't Sullivan himself who made the request -- it was one of the production lackeys. Now I'm wondering whether it was Sullivan himself that asked Mick Jagger to change a lyric. Conflating stories, maybe.

I like how in the film, the stiff suited-up production guy kept asking The Doors "ya dig"

 

[UncleZen]

Not sure what to make of The Doors here. In my world, there would probably be a couple other Doors albums on my list, with their first album being the highest ranked among them. Their debut is generally considered their master work, so not sure if that means we are done with the Doors or if one of their other efforts somehow trumps the first release.

I don’t regard this album as their best.

To each his own. I will be interested to see which one(s) you like better. The first album had 8-9 tracks that got heavy radio airplay. All of their albums are very strong, but their other efforts had 5-ish songs that got radio play. Their debut album has five-star ratings by both critics and fans (and was their best-selling effort). I understand that not everyone will like the most played or most popular albums the most (I would fall in that category for PF or LZ). In The Doors case, I can (and often do) throw on the first album and just let it play. Their other albums have some tracks I usually skip over.

To me, Strange Days is close but I agree, their debut is my ultimate favorite.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Not sure what to make of The Doors here. In my world, there would probably be a couple other Doors albums on my list, with their first album being the highest ranked among them. Their debut is generally considered their master work, so not sure if that means we are done with the Doors or if one of their other efforts somehow trumps the first release.

I don’t regard this album as their best.

To each his own. I will be interested to see which one(s) you like better. The first album had 8-9 tracks that got heavy radio airplay. All of their albums are very strong, but their other efforts had 5-ish songs that got radio play. Their debut album has five-star ratings by both critics and fans (and was their best-selling effort). I understand that not everyone will like the most played or most popular albums the most (I would fall in that category for PF or LZ). In The Doors case, I can (and often do) throw on the first album and just let it play. Their other albums have some tracks I usually skip over.

To me, Strange Days is close but I agree, their debut is my ultimate favorite.

Morrison Hotel and LA Woman are excellent as well. The other two are more hit and miss for me.

 

[Gr00vus]

Great album. It was one of a select few I'd queue up on my parent's old stackable turntable and play over and over again when I was like 4 or 5. As a result I've heard these songs so many times over the last 50 years I'm pretty much burned out on the whole album. But it's still groundbreaking stuff, and a sound (behind Morrison) that no-one else really ever replicated (though several did try). Break On Through was an incredible way to introduce themselves to the world - that's announcing your presence with authority right there.

 

[UncleZen]

Not sure what to make of The Doors here. In my world, there would probably be a couple other Doors albums on my list, with their first album being the highest ranked among them. Their debut is generally considered their master work, so not sure if that means we are done with the Doors or if one of their other efforts somehow trumps the first release.

I don’t regard this album as their best.

To each his own. I will be interested to see which one(s) you like better. The first album had 8-9 tracks that got heavy radio airplay. All of their albums are very strong, but their other efforts had 5-ish songs that got radio play. Their debut album has five-star ratings by both critics and fans (and was their best-selling effort). I understand that not everyone will like the most played or most popular albums the most (I would fall in that category for PF or LZ). In The Doors case, I can (and often do) throw on the first album and just let it play. Their other albums have some tracks I usually skip over.

To me, Strange Days is close but I agree, their debut is my ultimate favorite.

Morrison Hotel and LA Woman are excellent as well. The other two are more hit and miss for me.

Lol, never any love for Soft Parade.

 

[Anarchy99]

Not sure what to make of The Doors here. In my world, there would probably be a couple other Doors albums on my list, with their first album being the highest ranked among them. Their debut is generally considered their master work, so not sure if that means we are done with the Doors or if one of their other efforts somehow trumps the first release.

I don’t regard this album as their best.

To each his own. I will be interested to see which one(s) you like better. The first album had 8-9 tracks that got heavy radio airplay. All of their albums are very strong, but their other efforts had 5-ish songs that got radio play. Their debut album has five-star ratings by both critics and fans (and was their best-selling effort). I understand that not everyone will like the most played or most popular albums the most (I would fall in that category for PF or LZ). In The Doors case, I can (and often do) throw on the first album and just let it play. Their other albums have some tracks I usually skip over.

To me, Strange Days is close but I agree, their debut is my ultimate favorite.

Morrison Hotel and LA Woman are excellent as well. The other two are more hit and miss for me.

Lol, never any love for Soft Parade.

You CANNOT petition the lord with prayer.

 

[BassNBrew]

Styx’s 7th album made them, for a few short years, the #1 band in the world

Were they ever really the biggest band in the world?
I know they were very popular during their time, but that popular?

I got that from that CNN show The Eighties. I watched it a few years back and someone said “in 1980, the biggest band in the world was Styx.”
No idea if it’s true or how to categorize that .

Fake news

 

[BassNBrew]

69. Heart- Dreamboat Annie (1976)

Classic rock radio hits: Magic Man, Crazy On You, Dreamboat Annie

One of the great debut albums of all time, it made the Wilson sisters instant superstars in a hard rock world that was around 99% male. But as great as they were, much of this record’s brilliance is due to the extraordinary guitar playing of Roger Fisher.

Magic Man
From the opening guitar note, this is one of the most memorable songs ever in classic rock. The singing is pitch perfect, the guitar solo is legendary, what’s not to love?

Dreamboat Annie (Fantasy Child)
A short version of the title song- see below.

Crazy On You
Everything I wrote about Magic Man pretty much applies here as well, except this song also has some great opening acoustic guitar work which I believe is by Nancy Wilson (at least she always performs it live.)

Soul Of The Sea
Really pretty deep cut ballad which sounds a little like Christine McVie. The bridge is strange, however.

Dreamboat Annie
This catchy ballad is timeless, and longer than the earlier version- but still pretty short.

White Lightning and Wine
Generic hard rock of the era, but more great guitar playing, more great vocals.

(Love Me Like Music) I’ll Be Your Song
Another Heart classic. This one features some sublime harmony by the sisters.

Sing Child
This might be considered filler except for a really good opening guitar riff and some of Ann’s best flute work- shades of Ian Anderson!

How Deep It Goes
This was actually the first single released from the album- apparently the record executives thought it was the band’s best chance at a hit! It’s a fine rocker but nothing compared to the tunes above that made them stars.

Dreamboat Annie (reprise)
Just in case you’re not tired of this tune yet (actually I’m not) here is yet a third version, a little bit slower, with keyboards and some lush orchestration.

Rocks greatest female leads???

Maybe not, but still seems low.

Oh...and 69....lol.

 

[BassNBrew]

Styx, Kansas, Foreigner, Boston, ELO, etc. All that overblown operatic prog-rock stuff of the late 70's/early 80's. Lacks soul IMO and doesn't stand the test of time. No thanks.

You got your Taylor Swift tickets yet?

 

[BassNBrew]

The problem with calling me a female is, if I was I wouldn’t like this album at all. (Because personally I’ve never met a female that liked anything by Rush, lol.)

As per my lack of knowledge, I’m not quite as ignorant as I may appear. There are long articles about Moving Pictures discussing seemingly every aspect of these songs: the lyrics, the structure, the instruments used, the original intent, etc etc. I’ve read some of these. But in my song notes I wanted to express how they make ME feel. For instance I know that “Red Barchetta” is about a dystopian car race and that there’s all kind of relevance there. But I just love that guitar riff. That’s what does it for me.

Red Barchetta is a top 5 Rush tune for me most days. It's just incredible from start to finish, and all three guys are on fire. And it manages to be brilliant despite having no chorus.

Since this morning I keep playing “The Camera Eye” over and over. I really like the melody to this. I don’t know why I haven’t paid attention to it before.

@Ghost Rider did “The Camera Eye” make your top 50 Rush songs? I can’t remember now.

I can't either. haha Great song, but I am sure there are a ton of great songs that didn't make my top 50.

Need me to remind you?

 

[BassNBrew]

54. Rush- Moving Pictures (1981)

Classic rock radio hits: Tom Sawyer, Limelight, Red Barchetta, Vital Signs

The three guys who comprised Rush during most of their existence were without doubt among the best musicians in rock history. But IMO their music was often an acquired taste, and not very accessible to the casual listener, as I would describe myself. Moving Pictures is easily their most accessible album, with its almost New Wave sound, and radio hits. And it’s a highly enjoyable listen.

Tom Sawyer
The band’s most famous and signature song is a re-imagining of the Mark Twain character. One of the great classic rock songs of all time.

Red Barchetta
This “Orwellian racing song” is a huge favorite among Rush fans and did get some radio play back in the day. I can’t get enough of Lifeson’s guitar riff here. So good.

YYZ
Another huge fan favorite because of the live performances. It was this song that my late brother offered up as proof of Neal Pearl’s greatness (some folks here may remember the thread in which I discussed my brother’s claim that Peart was the greatest rock drummer of all time.)

Limelight
Almost as great as Tom Sawyer, simply an irresistible rock saga about stardom. I wonder what Taylor Swift thinks of it?

The Camera Eye
After 4 songs basically designed for commercial appeal, we get prog rock for the first time on this record. Has a great melody (especially the first section) and some amazing performances.

Witch Hunt
More prog rock, this is apparently part of a group of songs from different albums. I’ve included it in various Halloween playlists I’ve made over the years.

Vital Signs
The third single released after Tom Sawyer and Limelight. Never really liked this at first, but its melody has grown on me over the years.

YYZ is the best song on this album IMO.

The guitar bites in so good on that track. Add in the bass and drums and it's one of the best rock instrumentals ever.

Add in the crowd in Brazil singing along (to an instrumental!!), and it's even better!

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Tim in Rio at 2:05

 

[zamboni]

The End
A lot of folks really love this song, regard it as the best thing this band ever did. I find it very pretentious. I like it in short snippets. Unfortunately it’s a very long tune and I’m rarely in the mood to hear the whole thing.

Maybe it's a bit pretentious, but I've always found this to be a captivating song. And that was well before I even watched Apocalypse Now

 

[Ghost Rider]

I had never heard this whole album by The Doors until about six months ago. It was good and I enjoyed it, but haven't revisited it since. I always thought The End was pretty amazing, although I get that it can be a bit wild and crazy. I don't care if it's pretentious since a lot of art IS pretentious. (earth to everyone: art is pretentious)

 

[Anarchy99]

One of my most memorable movie going experiences was going to opening night of The Doors movie in New Haven. It was a really drunk and rowdy college crowd, many of whom were hardcore Doors fans. When the famous scene from New Haven came on, the place went nuts. People started throwing food, drinks, and whatever else they could get their hands on. I thought a fight was going to break out. Some people had snuck in some beer in bottles, and those got flung at the screen. I remember the top of a trash can flying over my head. Then came the trash can itself. They had to pause the movie and cops were called in to settle people down. They escorted some folks out, but that made people even more rowdy. Never felt that uncomfortable watching a movie ever again. You don’t get that kind of experience streaming things in the privacy of your own home.

 

[massraider]

I don't care if it's pretentious since a lot of art IS pretentious. (earth to everyone: art is pretentious)

Agreed.

I am not saying the Doors were more pretentious---yes I am, they totally were, that's exactly what I'm saying.

 

[jwb]

Light My Fire
The band’s signature song and one of the gigantic tunes of classic rock. The organ solo lasts a long time but I’m never annoyed by it. And Manzarak’s lead riff is amazing.

"Now remember, boys ... right before the chorus, you gotta sing 'Babe we couldn't get much better'. Better, ya see, not 'higher.' The kids out there ... they're impressionable, ya see."

"Yes, sir, Mister Sullivan! We wouldn't want to impress upon any kids out there in the TV audience!"

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

Ray Manzarek is incredible. When you think of the Doors "sound", it's prettymuch equal Ray's keyboards and Jim's vocals. But then throw in that Ray also played bass with his left hand. Amazing.

 

[Doug B]

Ray Manzarek is incredible. When you think of the Doors "sound", it's prettymuch equal Ray's keyboards and Jim's vocals. But then throw in that Ray also played bass with his left hand. Amazing.

The Ed Sullivan cameraman actually catches some good footage of Manzarek's playing. I wonder if the camera guy was a secret Doors fan?

 

[timschochet]

48. David Bowie- Hunky Dory (1971)

Classic rock radio hits: Changes, Life On Mars?, Queen *****

Bowie’s first great album was a true work of art: exploring the future, individual expression, sexuality, and musically a brilliant combination of folk, pop, music hall and vaudeville and of course rock and roll. It’s not without flaws which is why it’s not even higher on this list. But even with those it’s a masterpiece.

Changes
It’s really amazing how musically complex this is for a pop song. That might be the reason it still sounds so fresh every time I hear it. Easily one of the great classic rock tunes of all time.

Oh! You Pretty Things
Two brilliant keyboard performances here: Bowie himself to start things off and then Rick Wakeman takes over. Lyrically Bowie seems fascinated with the Superman theories of Nietzsche, which is a little creepy.

Eight Line Poem
The last song merges into this one without any break so it seems like one tune.Achingly beautiful guitar here by Mick Ronson.

Life On Mars?
This certainly has to be in the running for David Bowie’s greatest song all of time. The melody is simply outstanding. The lyrics are obscure but highly memorable. A remarkable ballad.

Kooks
Written for his baby son. Playful and a little like Paul McCartney.

Quicksand
This is a gorgeous ballad with disturbing and mysterious lyrics- what, exactly, is Himmler’s sacred realm? I don’t really want to know. But I love the melody and performance.

Fill Your Heart
The only song here not written by Bowie. I find it annoying and showy. His vocals seem strange here.

Andy Warhol
Interesting song but both the beginning and the ending are really hard to tolerate. If I could just start and end this with Ronson’s great guitar work I would listen to it more often I think.

Song for Bob Dylan
Fine tribute with what is still the best ever description of Dylan’s vocals: “a voice like sand and glue”. Great rock song.

Queen *****
Hard not to love this and I do. Glam rock at its very best. No idea who he’s singing about here but it’s so good.

The Belway Brothers
I have to divide this into parts: the verses are too lengthy and incredibly pretentious- comedian, Corinthian, and caricature. The chorus is achingly pretty and great. The bridge is terrible, almost unlistenable. The ending is also awful.

 

[jwb]

Honestly don't remember anything but "Changes" being played on the radio from this particular album (a bit upstate from the NY Metro area, so classic rock stations WPLJ/WNEW, and WPDH locally).

Not that it isn't a great album. I like it a lot.

 

[BassNBrew]

Honestly don't remember anything but "Changes" being played on the radio from this particular album (a bit upstate from the NY Metro area, so classic rock stations WPLJ/WNEW, and WPDH locally).

Not that it isn't a great album. I like it a lot.

It's not evening sniffing Van Halen.

 

[Ghost Rider]

I am still not wild about the first two songs (I do not like Changes at all), but I like Hunky Dory as a whole a lot more than I did before. That riff in Queen ***** is an all-timer.

 

[timschochet]

Honestly don't remember anything but "Changes" being played on the radio from this particular album (a bit upstate from the NY Metro area, so classic rock stations WPLJ/WNEW, and WPDH locally).

Not that it isn't a great album. I like it a lot.

It's not evening sniffing Van Halen.

Obviously it’s very different and hard to compare. But I have Hunky Dory ranked above Van Halen because, quite simply, the quality of David Bowie’s music is a little stronger.

 

[northern exposure]

One of my most memorable movie going experiences was going to opening night of The Doors movie in New Haven. It was a really drunk and rowdy college crowd, many of whom were hardcore Doors fans. When the famous scene from New Haven came on, the place went nuts. People started throwing food, drinks, and whatever else they could get their hands on. I thought a fight was going to break out. Some people had snuck in some beer in bottles, and those got flung at the screen. I remember the top of a trash can flying over my head. Then came the trash can itself. They had to pause the movie and cops were called in to settle people down. They escorted some folks out, but that made people even more rowdy. Never felt that uncomfortable watching a movie ever again. You don’t get that kind of experience streaming things in the privacy of your own home.

Maybe not in your home....

 

[northern exposure]

Light My Fire
The band’s signature song and one of the gigantic tunes of classic rock. The organ solo lasts a long time but I’m never annoyed by it. And Manzarak’s lead riff is amazing.

"Now remember, boys ... right before the chorus, you gotta sing 'Babe we couldn't get much better'. Better, ya see, not 'higher.' The kids out there ... they're impressionable, ya see."

"Yes, sir, Mister Sullivan! We wouldn't want to impress upon any kids out there in the TV audience!"

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

Ray Manzarek is incredible. When you think of the Doors "sound", it's prettymuch equal Ray's keyboards and Jim's vocals. But then throw in that Ray also played bass with his left hand. Amazing.

I'm a big fan of Robby Krieger's guitar work too. I was surprised to hear/read that Morrison was not highly regarded by some of his contemporaries- David Crosby,Roger McGuinn, etc.

 

[BassNBrew]

Honestly don't remember anything but "Changes" being played on the radio from this particular album (a bit upstate from the NY Metro area, so classic rock stations WPLJ/WNEW, and WPDH locally).

Not that it isn't a great album. I like it a lot.

It's not evening sniffing Van Halen.

Obviously it’s very different and hard to compare. But I have Hunky Dory ranked above Van Halen because, quite simply, the quality of David Bowie’s music is a little stronger.

I always felt Bowie was more pop, early VH was definitely rock.Whenever Bowie was played I changed the station to the other rock station. I realize that's a personal opinion.

Looking forward to your other albums that keep VH ranked so low, personally none you have posted since would rank ahead of VH. Thanks again for this this thread, it's a beacon of light of the Swift of Darkness.

 

[timschochet]

Honestly don't remember anything but "Changes" being played on the radio from this particular album (a bit upstate from the NY Metro area, so classic rock stations WPLJ/WNEW, and WPDH locally).

Not that it isn't a great album. I like it a lot.

It's not evening sniffing Van Halen.

Obviously it’s very different and hard to compare. But I have Hunky Dory ranked above Van Halen because, quite simply, the quality of David Bowie’s music is a little stronger.

I always felt Bowie was more pop, early VH was definitely rock.Whenever Bowie was played I changed the station to the other rock station. I realize that's a personal opinion.

Looking forward to your other albums that keep VH ranked so low, personally none you have posted since would rank ahead of VH. Thanks again for this this thread, it's a beacon of light of the Swift of Darkness.

You say that now but just wait until 1989 (Taylor’s Version) takes the top spot.

 

[Gr00vus]

Another great album. Big fan of Life On Mars, Pretty Things, Warhol. Bowie flashed his genius from the start and just kept right on going.

 

[jwb]

Light My Fire
The band’s signature song and one of the gigantic tunes of classic rock. The organ solo lasts a long time but I’m never annoyed by it. And Manzarak’s lead riff is amazing.

"Now remember, boys ... right before the chorus, you gotta sing 'Babe we couldn't get much better'. Better, ya see, not 'higher.' The kids out there ... they're impressionable, ya see."

"Yes, sir, Mister Sullivan! We wouldn't want to impress upon any kids out there in the TV audience!"

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

Ray Manzarek is incredible. When you think of the Doors "sound", it's prettymuch equal Ray's keyboards and Jim's vocals. But then throw in that Ray also played bass with his left hand. Amazing.

I'm a big fan of Robby Krieger's guitar work too. I was surprised to hear/read that Morrison was not highly regarded my some of his contemporaries- David Crosby,Roger McGuinn, etc.

Robby did what he had to do in the band. The Doors were not really a "guitar" band, so he shined with his tunings and bottleneck (he was good at that.)

If you like the Doors, get his recent book - it's definitely the best of the bunch written about the band.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

The Belway Brothers
I have to divide this into parts: the verses are too lengthy and incredibly pretentious- comedian, Corinthian, and caricature. The chorus is achingly pretty and great. The bridge is terrible, almost unlistenable. The ending is also awful.

Bewlay.

And I like it better than you, but I can see why some wouldn't care for it.

 

[zamboni]

If you like the Doors, get his recent book - it's definitely the best of the bunch written about the band.

Thanks for the heads up - will check that out. I read only the best seller No One Here Gets Out Alive many years ago, but I think that was a piece of exploitative trash.

 

[timschochet]

47. Bruce Springsteen- The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle (1973)

Classic rock radio hits: Rosalita (Come Out Tonight), 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)

Bruce Springsteen’s first album (Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ) was a terrific singer/songwriter effort. But his second record introduced the E Street Band and the sound that we now associate with classic Springsteen: epic story based rock and roll set to great melodies that encapsulated blue collar America.

The E Street Shuffle
Takes a little while to get going but once it does we get a funky intro to the album. The band is in full swing.

4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
One of his all time best songs, about a lost love. I’m not a fan of the sax played at such a low key so as to sound so scratchy but otherwise it’s perfect.

Kitty’s Back
Springsteen ventures into jazz here which is pretty unusual for him. But this is a fine song and the E Street band has rarely sounded better.

Wild Billy’s Circus Story
Folky and great. Best song about a circus ever?

Incident on 57th Street
Might be my favorite Springsteen song of all time. One of the “epics” that would come to define his early years. Just love this no matter how many times I hear it.

Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Another of the epics, this one famous with lots of radio play. Here the sax is legendary.

New York City Serenade
Another gigantic jazzy song, with a beautiful piano intro and and an incredible finish.

 

[Gr00vus]

It's a good album, but apart from Rosalita, I don't recall hearing these tracks much on classic rock radio beyond the years close to the album's release. Even Rosalita didn't get a ton of play compared to other tracks on other albums listed here so far.

 

[timschochet]

It's a good album, but apart from Rosalita, I don't recall hearing these tracks much on classic rock radio beyond the years close to the album's release. Even Rosalita didn't get a ton of play compared to other tracks on other albums listed here so far.

I heard Sandy and Rosalita. That’s enough for this list.

 

[Ghost Rider]

I like some material by The Boss, but nothing from this record. Hard pass.