The 100 Greatest Classic Rock Albums of All Time: #1. Sticky Fingers (8 Viewers)

[Tau837]

Before I get to pick # 25, let me comment for a moment about my last pick. I strongly suspect that most of those who panned my last pick hasn’t ever listened to the album in question and is instead commenting on Rod Stewart in general. And I get that, because since about 1977 (“Do Ya Think I’m Sexy), Rod has been a sellout, a showman, much more of a Vegas schmaltzy performer than a rock star.

But this was not the case in 1971 and for those who feel this way, I strongly urge you to at least sample the record chosen. It’s pretty incredible.

Speaking for myself, I have sampled it. It's not really my taste, but I can appreciate that it is quality music. My issue is ranking it so high and over so many other albums that are better as well as being more direct fits with classic rock.

I know it might be viewed as classic rock by default, but it is really more a mix of rock, folk, and blues music. IMO it is not classic rock like Van Halen, Moving Pictures, etc. are classic rock. Not truly the same genres IMO.

 

[timschochet]

Before I get to pick # 25, let me comment for a moment about my last pick. I strongly suspect that most of those who panned my last pick hasn’t ever listened to the album in question and is instead commenting on Rod Stewart in general. And I get that, because since about 1977 (“Do Ya Think I’m Sexy), Rod has been a sellout, a showman, much more of a Vegas schmaltzy performer than a rock star.

But this was not the case in 1971 and for those who feel this way, I strongly urge you to at least sample the record chosen. It’s pretty incredible.

Speaking for myself, I have sampled it. It's not really my taste, but I can appreciate that it is quality music. My issue is ranking it so high and over so many other albums that are better as well as being more direct fits with classic rock.

I know it might be viewed as classic rock by default, but it is really more a mix of rock, folk, and blues music. IMO it is not classic rock like Van Halen, Moving Pictures, etc. are classic rock. Not truly the same genres IMO.

Fair enough but I think you may be disappointed because most of the albums remaining are a mix of rock, folk and blues. It think that definition would work for all of the greatest albums by Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones to cite two examples.

 

[AAABatteries]

Ok, seriously - why do you people keep bringing up Van Halen? They are fine, good even but can we use a great band as an example?

 

[Tau837]

Ok, seriously - why do you people keep bringing up Van Halen? They are fine, good even but can we use a great band as an example?

It's a reference to the album entitled Van Halen, not just a generic reference to the band. It's a great classic rock album that was grossly underranked in this exercise, which is why it gets brought up periodically.

 

[Tau837]

Before I get to pick # 25, let me comment for a moment about my last pick. I strongly suspect that most of those who panned my last pick hasn’t ever listened to the album in question and is instead commenting on Rod Stewart in general. And I get that, because since about 1977 (“Do Ya Think I’m Sexy), Rod has been a sellout, a showman, much more of a Vegas schmaltzy performer than a rock star.

But this was not the case in 1971 and for those who feel this way, I strongly urge you to at least sample the record chosen. It’s pretty incredible.

Speaking for myself, I have sampled it. It's not really my taste, but I can appreciate that it is quality music. My issue is ranking it so high and over so many other albums that are better as well as being more direct fits with classic rock.

I know it might be viewed as classic rock by default, but it is really more a mix of rock, folk, and blues music. IMO it is not classic rock like Van Halen, Moving Pictures, etc. are classic rock. Not truly the same genres IMO.

Fair enough but I think you may be disappointed because most of the albums remaining are a mix of rock, folk and blues. It think that definition would work for all of the greatest albums by Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones to cite two examples.

Fair enough on that last point, but I do not view Rod Stewart's music, including this album in question, as being in the same genre as any album by Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones, so maybe that wasn't a good way to articulate the difference. Maybe I'm in the minority on this.

 

[Anarchy99]

OK, I figured out how I want to do a different album listing once this one wraps up. On the plus side, there will be a lot more albums and a lot less bickering. On the downside, there will be a lot more albums and a lot less bickering. It literally will be a list of albums . . . not a ranking based on opinion, preference, or other criteria. Therefore, the list will be the list . . . sort of like the standings in a given sport. The standings are the standings . . . can't really argue where a team sits in the standings.

I don't have the time, the energy, or the desire to give a song-by-song breakdown of each album. I will include some information on each album, but not a running commentary on every track. I suspect with more albums included, most people will have an artist that got left off of Tim's Top 100 list, so more people will feel that "their" artist made the list. I am sure people won't like the simplicity of the list (and that it's not a proper way to do things), but there will be less to squabble over. I am sure there will be enough to aggravate everyone a little bit, which sounds like the right mix and a fair compromise.

But for now, I cede the floor back to Tim.

And people that don't consider Every Picture Tells A Story a classic rock album probably weren't around back then. As I mentioned in many other threads, early Rod Stewart with an electric piano / organ is top notch. Once that element left his arsenal, then not so much. It may not be for everyone, but IMO it fits more than some of the other selections. If peeps don't feel it should be ranked where it is, so be it.

 

[Anarchy99]

And to pick nits, Magical Mystery Tour was really half a new album and a bunch of re-released singles from the prior year. It sort of comes across as half a greatest hits album. It makes for one great album packaged together that way, though.

 

[Stoneworker]

And people that don't consider Every Picture Tells A Story a classic rock album probably weren't around back then. As I mentioned in many other threads, early Rod Stewart with an electric piano / organ is top notch. Once that element left his arsenal, then not so much. It may not be for everyone, but IMO it fits more than some of the other selections. If peeps don't feel it should be ranked where it is, so be it.

Agreed. Or weren't regular radio listeners (no knock on anyone personally).

Maggie, Every Picture and and Losing You were all staples of the classic rock era. And for good reason as they are terrific tunes. Occasionally they'd play the intro to Maggie May and as Tim says that was a real treat.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Way back in the day, Maggie May consistently was played on classic rock radio and was often in the top 10-20 of those greatest rock songs of all time lists/countdowns, so I would never quibble about Rod Stewart's inclusion here, even if I think this was way too high.

Feels like Magic Mystery Tour is getting the shaft in the convo thanks to the ongoing RW chatter, but good Beatles album for sure. Strawberry Fields Forever remains a top 5 Beatles tune in my book.

 

[timschochet]

OK, I figured out how I want to do a different album listing once this one wraps up. On the plus side, there will be a lot more albums and a lot less bickering. On the downside, there will be a lot more albums and a lot less bickering. It literally will be a list of albums . . . not a ranking based on opinion, preference, or other criteria. Therefore, the list will be the list . . . sort of like the standings in a given sport. The standings are the standings . . . can't really argue where a team sits in the standings.

I don't have the time, the energy, or the desire to give a song-by-song breakdown of each album. I will include some information on each album, but not a running commentary on every track. I suspect with more albums included, most people will have an artist that got left off of Tim's Top 100 list, so more people will feel that "their" artist made the list. I am sure people won't like the simplicity of the list (and that it's not a proper way to do things), but there will be less to squabble over. I am sure there will be enough to aggravate everyone a little bit, which sounds like the right mix and a fair compromise.

But for now, I cede the floor back to Tim.

And people that don't consider Every Picture Tells A Story a classic rock album probably weren't around back then. As I mentioned in many other threads, early Rod Stewart with an electric piano / organ is top notch. Once that element left his arsenal, then not so much. It may not be for everyone, but IMO it fits more than some of the other selections. If peeps don't feel it should be ranked where it is, so be it.

Looking forward to your list.

 

[timschochet]

And to pick nits, Magical Mystery Tour was really half a new album and a bunch of re-released singles from the prior year. It sort of comes across as half a greatest hits album. It makes for one great album packaged together that way, though.

Yeah this made me hesitate- also with Eat A Peach by the Allmans for different reasons. But in the end there was too much original stuff in both cases not to include them.

 

[DocHolliday]

Before I get to pick # 25, let me comment for a moment about my last pick. I strongly suspect that most of those who panned my last pick hasn’t ever listened to the album in question and is instead commenting on Rod Stewart in general. And I get that, because since about 1977 (“Do Ya Think I’m Sexy), Rod has been a sellout, a showman, much more of a Vegas schmaltzy performer than a rock star.

But this was not the case in 1971 and for those who feel this way, I strongly urge you to at least sample the record chosen. It’s pretty incredible.

Speaking for myself, I have sampled it. It's not really my taste, but I can appreciate that it is quality music. My issue is ranking it so high and over so many other albums that are better as well as being more direct fits with classic rock.

I know it might be viewed as classic rock by default, but it is really more a mix of rock, folk, and blues music. IMO it is not classic rock like Van Halen, Moving Pictures, etc. are classic rock. Not truly the same genres IMO.

Fair enough but I think you may be disappointed because most of the albums remaining are a mix of rock, folk and blues. It think that definition would work for all of the greatest albums by Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones to cite two examples.

Fair enough on that last point, but I do not view Rod Stewart's music, including this album in question, as being in the same genre as any album by Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones, so maybe that wasn't a good way to articulate the difference. Maybe I'm in the minority on this.

As you might expect, I am less than pleased with yet another inferior album being ranked so much higher than the VH masterpiece. Maggie May is one of my favorite songs by any artist though. Rod had such a cool voice.

 

[timschochet]

I never made the connection between early Rod and the electric piano. For me it was the more soulful, bluesy nature of his early stuff. Two of my favorite albums of all time are Jeff Beck’s Truth and Rod Stewart’s first record. I also love almost all of the Faces’ stuff. But there weren’t enough hits on any of those records to make this list, unfortunately.

 

[DocHolliday]

And to pick nits, Magical Mystery Tour was really half a new album and a bunch of re-released singles from the prior year. It sort of comes across as half a greatest hits album. It makes for one great album packaged together that way, though.

It is an outstanding album. Interested to see the other albums that Tim thinks are better. The title track, Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane, and Hello Goodbye are awesome. I am a bigger fan of Penny Lane than a lot of other Beatles fans but the song makes me happy every time I hear it. It’s one of my favorite Beatles songs which says something since they have so many amazing tunes.

 

[zamboni]

And to pick nits, Magical Mystery Tour was really half a new album and a bunch of re-released singles from the prior year. It sort of comes across as half a greatest hits album. It makes for one great album packaged together that way, though.

Nothing to get hung about.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Fair enough on that last point, but I do not view Rod Stewart's music, including this album in question, as being in the same genre as any album by Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones, so maybe that wasn't a good way to articulate the difference. Maybe I'm in the minority on this.

You may not be in the minority, but you're wrong for the purposes of tim's thread. Music from the Stewart album most definitely got played on CR radio along with Zep and the Stones. If you don't think it should have, I guess you have that right - but your argument doesn't fit what this thread is supposed to be doing.

Genres are stupid, but "classic rock radio" isn't even a genre - it's a radio format. There's a difference.

 

[Tau837]

Fair enough on that last point, but I do not view Rod Stewart's music, including this album in question, as being in the same genre as any album by Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones, so maybe that wasn't a good way to articulate the difference. Maybe I'm in the minority on this.

You may not be in the minority, but you're wrong for the purposes of tim's thread. Music from the Stewart album most definitely got played on CR radio along with Zep and the Stones. If you don't think it should have, I guess you have that right - but your argument doesn't fit what this thread is supposed to be doing.

Genres are stupid, but "classic rock radio" isn't even a genre - it's a radio format. There's a difference.

Fair enough. I wouldn't even have commented if it was 50 spots lower in the ranking.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Fair enough on that last point, but I do not view Rod Stewart's music, including this album in question, as being in the same genre as any album by Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones, so maybe that wasn't a good way to articulate the difference. Maybe I'm in the minority on this.

You may not be in the minority, but you're wrong for the purposes of tim's thread. Music from the Stewart album most definitely got played on CR radio along with Zep and the Stones. If you don't think it should have, I guess you have that right - but your argument doesn't fit what this thread is supposed to be doing.

Genres are stupid, but "classic rock radio" isn't even a genre - it's a radio format. There's a difference.

Fair enough. I wouldn't even have commented if it was 50 spots lower in the ranking.

You're tripping me out, my friend

How's State's hoops team looking? I'm slow catching up on the college b-ball landscape this year.

 

[Tau837]

Fair enough on that last point, but I do not view Rod Stewart's music, including this album in question, as being in the same genre as any album by Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones, so maybe that wasn't a good way to articulate the difference. Maybe I'm in the minority on this.

You may not be in the minority, but you're wrong for the purposes of tim's thread. Music from the Stewart album most definitely got played on CR radio along with Zep and the Stones. If you don't think it should have, I guess you have that right - but your argument doesn't fit what this thread is supposed to be doing.

Genres are stupid, but "classic rock radio" isn't even a genre - it's a radio format. There's a difference.

Fair enough. I wouldn't even have commented if it was 50 spots lower in the ranking.

You're tripping me out, my friend

How's State's hoops team looking? I'm slow catching up on the college b-ball landscape this year.

I'm cautiously optimistic. That's as far as I can ever go as a State fan...

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Fair enough on that last point, but I do not view Rod Stewart's music, including this album in question, as being in the same genre as any album by Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones, so maybe that wasn't a good way to articulate the difference. Maybe I'm in the minority on this.

You may not be in the minority, but you're wrong for the purposes of tim's thread. Music from the Stewart album most definitely got played on CR radio along with Zep and the Stones. If you don't think it should have, I guess you have that right - but your argument doesn't fit what this thread is supposed to be doing.

Genres are stupid, but "classic rock radio" isn't even a genre - it's a radio format. There's a difference.

Fair enough. I wouldn't even have commented if it was 50 spots lower in the ranking.

You're tripping me out, my friend

How's State's hoops team looking? I'm slow catching up on the college b-ball landscape this year.

I'm cautiously optimistic. That's as far as I can ever go as a State fan...

I hear ya. Maryland lost to Davidson last night in Asheville at some small tourney. I miss the old ACC days here.

 

[timschochet]

At the Queen concert tonight. Adam Lambert,

Nosebleed seats but what the hell? Should be fun. Can’t wait to watch Brian May.

 

[timschochet]

At the Queen concert tonight. Adam Lambert,

Nosebleed seats but what the hell? Should be fun. Can’t wait to watch Brian May.

My report: Brian May is still pretty great. Roger Taylor was fine on drums and sang a certain song about a car which is on a certain album that will be making an appearance here. (May also sang a couple of ballads from that fine record.)
Adam Lambert was extremely impressive. No one can ever truly replace Freddie but what a great voice.

All in all a really fun show.

 

[Yo Mama]

At the Queen concert tonight. Adam Lambert,

Nosebleed seats but what the hell? Should be fun. Can’t wait to watch Brian May.

My report: Brian May is still pretty great. Roger Taylor was fine on drums and sang a certain song about a car which is on a certain album that will be making an appearance here. (May also sang a couple of ballads from that fine record.)
Adam Lambert was extremely impressive. No one can ever truly replace Freddie but what a great voice.

All in all a really fun show.

Going tonight - looking forward to it.

 

[Mookie Gizzy]

And to pick nits, Magical Mystery Tour was really half a new album and a bunch of re-released singles from the prior year. It sort of comes across as half a greatest hits album. It makes for one great album packaged together that way, though.

If I’m not mistaken it was released in UK as a double EP. For the US market they added the singles and B sides that were already released in ‘67

 

[timschochet]

24. Led Zeppelin- Houses of the Holy (1973)

Classic rock radio hits: Over the Hills and Far Away, Dancing Days, The Rain Song, The Song Remains the Same, D’Yer Mak’er, The Ocean

Some of Led Zeppelin’s very best songs of all time are contained here. There are also a few tunes that I don’t really enjoy listening to. So it’s a little uneven for me, though that’s by the standards of this band which are well above the standards of most other bands. The great songs win out which is why this record justly receives such a high place on this list.

The Song Remains The Same
Such a great intro. Then the actual song doesn’t quite live up to it, IMO. Still an overall great listen however.

The Rain Song
Over 7 minutes of pure bliss. Such a beautiful tune, perhaps this band’s prettiest song ever. Perfection.

Over the Hills and Far Away
Greatest rock guitar intro of all time? Maybe so. The rest of the song is awesome too but not quite as amazing as the first couple of minutes.

The Crunge
And now we get to the other stuff. I know this is trying to be James Brown. Whatever. I don’t like it, I won’t listen to it. Pass.

Dancing Days
On the other hand, I’ve always enjoyed this radio hit. Certainly not a great rock song but great fun to listen to.

D’Yer Mak’er
Their attempt at reggae is also a lot of fun. Another tune I’ve always liked, even if it’s a little repetitive. I especially love Bonham here.

No Quarter
A lot of folks love this song. I never have. I don’t really like the weird sound quality, among other things. Blame me for my unsophistication I guess. If you’re one of those who like this, more power to you.

The Ocean
Love the guitar riff here. So good. This is a great rock song.

 

[Anarchy99]

I like the huge majority of HOTH. Compared to other LZ albums, it doesn't have that signature song that puts it over the top. Mostly strong from top to bottom (I have the same concerns as Tim for The Crunge and No Quarter) . . . but IMO it needed a Stairway, Whole Lotta Love, or Kashmir to put it in another tier. As it is, it still made the Top 25. I'm guessing there are 4 more Led Zep albums still to come (unless Presence makes a surprise appearance this late). I tend to agree those other albums trump HOTH.

 

[Ghost Rider]

I get why other LZ album are more popular and will finish higher here, but Houses of the Holy is still my favorite and the one I listen to the most. Okay, The Crunge is kinda blah and the sped up nature of The Song Remains the Same is kinda strange, but the rest is money. Over the Hills and Far Away has been my favorite LZ song for as long as I can remember, and The Rain Song and No Quarter are not far behind.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

If you swipe Plant's vocal from The Crunge, it is pretty good.

I never liked No Quarter.

 

[zamboni]

To each his/her own, I guess. No Quarter was my #1 song in the Zep song countdown poll we did awhile back.

 

[Raging weasel]

The Crunge is aptly named and in their bottom 5 for sure

 

[Anarchy99]

To each his/her own, I guess. No Quarter was my #1 song in the Zep song countdown poll we did awhile back.

You ranked it the highest and were one of 10 people to rank it in the Top 5. 33 people didn't rank it at all. IIRC, there were 62 people that participated. No Quarter ended up at 19th overall.

 

[Yo Mama]

I love No Quarter, especially the fuzzy guitar work. Plus, this song scared me when I first listened to it as a youff because I was convinced it had some satanic messaging hidden in it somewhere.

 

[Tau837]

I love HOTH including No Quarter.

Depending on the day, I'd rank HOTH as either 4th or 5th best Zep album.

 

[timschochet]

To each his/her own, I guess. No Quarter was my #1 song in the Zep song countdown poll we did awhile back.

You ranked it the highest and were one of 10 people to rank it in the Top 5. 33 people didn't rank it at all. IIRC, there were 62 people that participated. No Quarter ended up at 19th overall.

Just curious: did The Crunge get any votes?

 

[zamboni]

I love No Quarter, especially the fuzzy guitar work. Plus, this song scared me when I first listened to it as a youff because I was convinced it had some satanic messaging hidden in it somewhere.

Consistently tapping your hand over your mouth is the only way to sing it like Plant.

 

[Anarchy99]

To each his/her own, I guess. No Quarter was my #1 song in the Zep song countdown poll we did awhile back.

You ranked it the highest and were one of 10 people to rank it in the Top 5. 33 people didn't rank it at all. IIRC, there were 62 people that participated. No Quarter ended up at 19th overall.

Just curious: did The Crunge get any votes?

Ballots had 25 spots. Two people voted for it . . . one at 23 and one at 25. It ended up ranked 76 out of 82 songs. Rumor has it that @Long Ball Larry and @Galileo may have been the ones that voted for it. But I don't keep meticulous records like that, so I would have no idea.

 

[BassNBrew]

OMG Rod Stewart over Van Halen, Are You Experienced, Wish You Were Here, Moving Pictures, etc. for "classic rock"... this is a joke, right?

Good thing Taylor Swift missed the date criteria.

Can’t wait for the Barry Manilow reveal.

yeah, this is indeed classic rock - can't believe this selection is getting grief

I love this album and have no issues with it being ranked this high - good job tim.

User name computes.

Ok, seriously - why do you people keep bringing up Van Halen? They are fine, good even but can we use a great band as an example?

Oh....you were being serious with that Barry comment.

 

[BassNBrew]

To each his/her own, I guess. No Quarter was my #1 song in the Zep song countdown poll we did awhile back.

You ranked it the highest and were one of 10 people to rank it in the Top 5. 33 people didn't rank it at all. IIRC, there were 62 people that participated. No Quarter ended up at 19th overall.

Just curious: did The Crunge get any votes?

Ballots had 25 spots. Two people voted for it . . . one at 23 and one at 25. It ended up ranked 76 out of 82 songs. Rumor has it that @Long Ball Larry and @Galileo may have been the ones that voted for it. But I don't keep meticulous records like that, so I would have no idea.

That's not bad, at least they weren't top ten placements.

 

[FatMax]

To each his/her own, I guess. No Quarter was my #1 song in the Zep song countdown poll we did awhile back.

You ranked it the highest and were one of 10 people to rank it in the Top 5. 33 people didn't rank it at all. IIRC, there were 62 people that participated. No Quarter ended up at 19th overall.

I'm still disappointed I missed that one. No quarter would have been in my top ten, maybe even top five. Number one will always be In My Time of Dying.

 

[AAABatteries]

I was one of those who didn't have No Quarter in my top 25. I had 3 songs from HotH in my top 25 - highest was The Ocean at #8.

I did some analysis of the LZ albums based on the results but I don't know what the hell I did with them. @Anarchy99 - did I PM it to you? I can't find it but thought it might be interesting to post here.

 

[Anarchy99]

I was one of those who didn't have No Quarter in my top 25. I had 3 songs from HotH in my top 25 - highest was The Ocean at #8.

I did some analysis of the LZ albums based on the results but I don't know what the hell I did with them. @Anarchy99 - did I PM it to you? I can't find it but thought it might be interesting to post here.

If the analysis wasn't "we sure wasted a lot of time," then no . . . you did not PM anything to me. You did send me a message on what your guesses for the Top 10 would be, if that's what you mean.

 

[AAABatteries]

If the analysis wasn't "we sure wasted a lot of time,"

 

[AAABatteries]

Ok, I don't know what I did with the analysis I did before but here's the high level of the results from @Anarchy99 Zeppelin countdown.

FBGs Led Zeppelin Album rankings based on the average song ranking:

1. Led Zeppelin IV - 17
2. Led Zeppelin II - 25.125
3. Led Zeppelin - 31
4. Houses of the Holy - 31.25
5. Led Zeppelin III - 42.8
6. Physical Graffiti - 44.13
7. In Through the Out Door - 53.71
8. Presence - 56
9. Coda - 75

Note - as mentioned, we only did top 25 so not every song got a vote - those I arbitraily gave all those songs 1 less point than the last placed song. Also, this doesn't take in to account the overall points scored - strictly looking at ranking and giving points based on that. If Anarchy still has the detail in a spreadsheet I could figure out a weighted score/album ranking but this is close enough to get an idea, IMO.

 

[Tau837]

Ok, I don't know what I did with the analysis I did before but here's the high level of the results from @Anarchy99 Zeppelin countdown.

FBGs Led Zeppelin Album rankings based on the average song ranking:

1. Led Zeppelin IV - 17
2. Led Zeppelin II - 25.125
3. Led Zeppelin - 31
4. Houses of the Holy - 31.25
5. Led Zeppelin III - 42.8
6. Physical Graffiti - 44.13
7. In Through the Out Door - 53.71
8. Presence - 56
9. Coda - 75

Note - as mentioned, we only did top 25 so not every song got a vote - those I arbitraily gave all those songs 1 less point than the last placed song. Also, this doesn't take in to account the overall points scored - strictly looking at ranking and giving points based on that. If Anarchy still has the detail in a spreadsheet I could figure out a weighted score/album ranking but this is close enough to get an idea, IMO.

If I understand your methodology correctly, PG ranking arguably gets skewed by having so many more songs.

 

[AAABatteries]

Ok, I don't know what I did with the analysis I did before but here's the high level of the results from @Anarchy99 Zeppelin countdown.

FBGs Led Zeppelin Album rankings based on the average song ranking:

1. Led Zeppelin IV - 17
2. Led Zeppelin II - 25.125
3. Led Zeppelin - 31
4. Houses of the Holy - 31.25
5. Led Zeppelin III - 42.8
6. Physical Graffiti - 44.13
7. In Through the Out Door - 53.71
8. Presence - 56
9. Coda - 75

Note - as mentioned, we only did top 25 so not every song got a vote - those I arbitraily gave all those songs 1 less point than the last placed song. Also, this doesn't take in to account the overall points scored - strictly looking at ranking and giving points based on that. If Anarchy still has the detail in a spreadsheet I could figure out a weighted score/album ranking but this is close enough to get an idea, IMO.

If I understand your methodology correctly, PG ranking arguably gets skewed by having so many more songs.

Good point I should have included. I divided by the number of songs. So, for example:

Below is the group rankings of the LZ IV songs - 136 "points" divided by 8 songs gives us 17. So yes, PG is hurt by having more songs - if you just take the top 8 songs it scores a 28.875 - would make it 3rd.

Group Ranking	Song
53	Four Sticks
25	Misty Mountain Hop
21	The Battle Of Evermore
14	Rock And Roll
13	Going to California
2	Stairway To Heaven
1	When The Levee Breaks
7	Black Dog

 

[Anarchy99]

If you guys want to rehash LZ stuff, it probably makes more sense to do that in the LZ thread.

 

[AAABatteries]

The main takeaway I had from doing that exercise is that we (FBGs) easily rank IV as the best album - just wasn't really close.

 

[Anarchy99]

The main takeaway I had from doing that exercise is that we (FBGs) easily rank IV as the best album - just wasn't really close.

I didn't consider an average points per song ranking at the time. I just used total points allocated per album . . .

LZ 4 - 4197
LZ 2 - 3192
LZ 1 - 2998
PG - 2958
HOTH - 2623
LZ 3 - 2124

All others light years behind.

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

OMG Rod Stewart over Van Halen, Are You Experienced, Wish You Were Here, Moving Pictures, etc. for "classic rock"... this is a joke, right?

Good thing Taylor Swift missed the date criteria.

Can’t wait for the Barry Manilow reveal.

yeah, this is indeed classic rock - can't believe this selection is getting grief

I love this album and have no issues with it being ranked this high - good job tim.

User name computes.

Ok, seriously - why do you people keep bringing up Van Halen? They are fine, good even but can we use a great band as an example?

Oh....you were being serious with that Barry comment.

ok - I laughed.

I get why Rod gets **** on with what he did to turn a buck after "Hot Legs, etc."

a lot of you guys are young enough that you don't remember how big and how influential he and Faces were back before he went so plastic.

so you also think Faces were lame? - this album is very close to their work and a clear classic

 

[Galileo]

To each his/her own, I guess. No Quarter was my #1 song in the Zep song countdown poll we did awhile back.

You ranked it the highest and were one of 10 people to rank it in the Top 5. 33 people didn't rank it at all. IIRC, there were 62 people that participated. No Quarter ended up at 19th overall.

Just curious: did The Crunge get any votes?

Ballots had 25 spots. Two people voted for it . . . one at 23 and one at 25. It ended up ranked 76 out of 82 songs. Rumor has it that @Long Ball Larry and @Galileo may have been the ones that voted for it. But I don't keep meticulous records like that, so I would have no idea.

I do not apologize for my 25th ranking. I find it unique, funky, and clearly an underrated song.