The 50 albums that changed music

Guardian ^

[pissant]

1 The Velvet Underground and Nico The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967)

Though it sold poorly on its initial release, this has since become arguably the most influential rock album of all time. The first art-rock album, it merges dreamy, druggy balladry ('Sunday Morning') with raw and uncompromising sonic experimentation ('Venus in Furs'), and is famously clothed in that Andy Warhol-designed 'banana' sleeve. Lou Reed's lyrics depicted a Warholian New York demi-monde where hard drugs and sexual experimentation held sway. Shocking then, and still utterly transfixing.

Without this, there'd be no ... Bowie, Roxy Music, Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Jesus and Mary Chain, among many others. SOH

2 The Beatles Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

There are those who rate Revolver (1966) or 'the White Album' (1968) higher. But Sgt Pepper's made the watertight case for pop music as an art form in itself; until then, it was thought the silly, transient stuff of teenagers. At a time when all pop music was stringently manufactured, these Paul McCartney-driven melodies and George Martin-produced whorls of sound proved that untried ground was not only the most fertile stuff, but also the most viable commercially. It defined the Sixties and - for good and ill - gave white rock all its airs and graces.

Without this ... pop would be a very different beast. KE

3 Kraftwerk Trans-Europe Express (1977)

Released at the height of punk, this sleek, urbane, synthesised, intellectual work shared little ground with its contemporaries. Not that it wanted to. Kraftwerk operated from within a bubble of equipment and ideas which owed more to science and philosophy than mere entertainment. Still, this paean to the beauty of mechanised movement and European civilisation was a moving and exquisite album in itself...

[pissant]

She's dead.

[madison10]

So is John Lennon.

[pissant]

True. And unfortuante IMO. LOL Without Buf. Springfield, we wouldn't have Kenny Loggins and therefore no Footloose. LOL

[freedumb2003]

NWA --- "Without this ... no Eminem, no 50 Cent, no Dizzee Rascal. KE"

Sounds like we would all be better off if this album had never happened.

[CFC__VRWC]

A top 50 albums list published in al Guardian. Aren't they afraid that by pushing decadent Western music, that they'll enrage and offend their reader base of jihadists and jihadist sympathizers?

[djf]

I can't discount Loggins and Messina! Without them, one of the most interesting experiences I ever had with a drop dead beautiful blue eyed brunette might not have ever happened...

;-)))))

[MotleyGirl70]

...of course I'm kidding!

I'd put any Motley Crue above Frampton anyday!

Most played CD by me--ever...

[MotleyGirl70]

...followed by:

and:

In case you haven't noticed, I have a diverse taste in music.

[AmishDude]

What about the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack? It made a craze out of disco (and eventually killed it).

[pissant]

But not Elvis.

[pissant]

B I N G O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pissant]

And I didn't even see Blues for Allah by the Grateful Dead on the list!

[pissant]

Well, I made out with my first girlfriend to Loving You, so we all have ourt skeletons. LOL

[pissant]

It just cracks me up that you liked the headbanging stuff. LOL. But true, better than Frampton.

[CFC__VRWC]

A bunch of burned out druggies invoking the name of Allah - if that wouldn't get some heads rolling, then nothing would.

[pissant]

You do indeed. No spinning regularly in my CD player..

and

[pissant]

I tried to forget that whole sorry chapter. Though I must admit disco is far superior to cRAP

[pissant]

LOL. But they weren't burned out yet at the time of the release. It's got some good tunes on it.

[pissant]

No = now

[Mr. Blonde]

Despite missing some key music that has just been mentioned, they are just wrong about Nevermind and the Seattle scene. It was around before Nevermind. It was really started with Motherlovebone and brought effectively to the masses by Temple of the Dog. If they want to put an album that changed rock on there it would be Temple of the Dog. If for no other reason than it was a catalyst in forming Pearl Jam and showcased Chris Cornell's writing. Not a lot more you can ask for.

Zeppelin II should be on this list as well as probably Rage Against the Machine's debut. I didn't see anything about rap/rock but they are the ones who really fused it starting from rock rather than rappers using a rock beat a la Beastie Boys or Run DMC.