Steve

“Of course, everything on your list is really ‘pop’. I mean – no Miles Davis or John Coltrane? No listing of Bernstein conducting Beethovan’s 9th – which was the recording used to determine the size of the CD?

It is a nice list of pop/rock, though I definitely disagree with you calling the Beatles ‘pop’ while giving REO Speedwagon, Bruce Springsteen, U2 and the Stones a pass. Everything after Rubber Soul is solid non-pop rock music worth considering.

I’d choose Dark side of the Moon over the Wall, as I don’t think that the latter has held up nearly as well (or maybe it was so overplayed back then that I’m *still* sick of it!).

For the Stones I’d definitely go Hot Rocks.

Zepplin *invented* Heavy Metal? Heck, even their own version was lifted directly from the Jeff Beck Group …”

A few new thoughts:
- for The Who … I definitely think that both Tommy and Quadrophenia are better than Who’s Next.
- Definitely agree on The Clash.
- How about ‘Never Mind the Bollocks …’? Gotta love some Sex Pistols!
- It is hard with stuff like The Cars, Boston, Jethro Tull and so on that are such a ‘part of their era’ – to me none of it has aged well, but some of it brings back great memories from back then.
- Nice to see Laurie Anderson – she is an anazing performance artist, and you are right that it is a wonderful thing seeing her live.

You definitely have the wrong Billy Joel. If you are going to pick one, and you are going to pick an album like Rumours, I think The Stranger is better on this list.

There is no way a top 50 list of greatest rock albums should have Bon Jovi, Phil Collins(?), or the Bee Gees (???) and not include a Clash album. ‘Nuff said.

I’m not all that partial to The Cars, either. They were fine, just not great. I never really like Aerosmith but I’d think that they deserved to be on one of these two lists, based one everybody else. I absolutely hated Yes; I’d have chosen something by ELP instead. Born To Run definitely belonged on the first list but, based on your age, I can understand why you put the other, I guess. (I grew up in NJ; I’d have chosen “The Wild, The Innocent…” or “Darkness” for sure over Born in the USA.

I think I’d have put something by ELO instead of Saturday Night Fever for sure, if you want something fun and good. Men at Work – no, it does not belong. And if I hear REO Speedwagon these days on the iTunes shuffle I hit “next track” every time. If there was a band that was overplayed in the day, and it wasn’t Journey or Kansas, it was REO etc. I heard enough for ten lifetimes back in the day.

Two Rush albums in a top 50 and only one Stones, only one Zeppelin, only one Pink Floyd, and no Clash? Don’t think so.

Otherwise? Good lists!

Sorry for the repetitiveness; I’m just reacting.

+ he’s the guy led zeppelin named “hats off to roy harper” on iii
+ he sang “have a cigar” on pink floyd’s ‘wish you were here”
+ he recorded an album with jimi page – ‘jungula’
+ he’s had one of his songs, “another day” recorded by peter gabriel, kate bush, and this mortal coil
+ he played knebworth more times than any other artist
+ he’s written songs with ian anderson
+ he’s the english quasi-folkie some have compared to bob dylan
+ he’s written a number of songs recorded on david gilmour solo albums
+ he’s a musical spirit that permeated the english rock scene in the 1970’s, and who is still singing and performing.

valentine, hq, stormcock, best of ‘70-’75, and oblivion are good starting places to investigate. good luck!

+ king crimson – red
+ deep purple – machine head
+ focus – greatest hits
+ jeff beck – there and back
+ coldplay – a rush of blood to the head
+ muse – whatever the name of the last album :-)
+ paul maccartney – band on the run
+ the notwist – neon golden
+ sigur ros – the new one….
+ dungeon – the first one from these swedes
+ soundgarden – superunknown
+ supertramp – crime of the century
+ david gilmour – on an island

and are two ’stretch’ possibilities….
+ bloc party – intimacy
+ pat metheny group – offramp

you probably know many of the items on my list, but maybe there are a few new ones here for you.

oh, and bill bruford had just left the king crimson when he toured with genesis as can be heard on ‘three sides, live’

hmmmm… do you know roy harper’s album ‘hq” featuring bill bruford, john paul jones and david gilmour? quite a back-up band, huh? :-)

Personally, I hate Maroon 5 and am not a big fan of the The Police.

I won’t claim they’re my 25 favorites, but here are some off of my list:

1. Boston (self-titled) — one of the best rock debut albums ever
2. REO Speedwagon Live (You Get What You Play For) — Probably my favorite live rock album ever
3. Linkin Park (Hybrid Theory) — another great debut album
4. Kid Rock (Devil Without A Cause) — blasting Detroit rap metal in my Mustang was great fun in 2001
5. Bloodhound Gang (Hooray for Boobies) — a hilariously dirty album
6. Pink Floyd (Wish You Were Here) — I own “Dark Side of the Moon” but still think I prefer “Wish You Were Here”
7. Rolling Stones (Some Girls) — fun songs with some controversy
8. Missing Persons (Greatest Hits) — Dale Bozzio’s voice is a lot of fun
9. Bruce Springsteen (Live) — most of his greatest hits, plus more
10. Bob Seger (Stranger in Town) — more Detroit rock, but you can’t go wrong with “Beautiful Loser”, “Double Bullet Live” or “Night Moves”, either
11. Sweet (Desolation Boulevard) — great bubblegum rock
12. Starz (Violation) — an awesome rock album by the best rock group almost nobody has heard of OR
12. Starz (Greatest Hits) — has most of the best songs of “Violation” (except “C.O.O.L. One”) but adds the delicious “So Young, So Bad” and others
13. Foreigner (self-titled) — another great debut album; people would ask whether Foreigner or Boston was better
14. Golden Earring (Greatest Hits) — combining old school like “Radar Love” with newer stuff like “Twilight Zone” and “The Devil Made Me Do It”
15. Aqua (Aquarium) — great European techno pop debut with “Barbie Girl”, “Candy Man”, “Doctor Jones” and more
16. The Real McCoy (Another Night) — more great boy/girl European techno pop
17. Evanescence (Fallen) — another great debut album
18. ABC (The Lexicon of Love) — a staple on the original MTV
19. The Motels (All Fourn One) — more great original MTV music
20. Pat Benatar (Crimes of Passion) — I said that if she followed her awesome debut, “In The Heat of the Night” with another winner, she’d get a Grammy; this was it and she did (and any of her first 4-7 albums are great)
21. Quarterflash (self-titled) — Rindy Ross sounds like Pat Benatar on one song, does a lesbian song and even jazz fusion, plus plays sax
22. Jefferson Starship (Modern Times) — great songs, but due to legal crap, never released in the U.S. on CD (get the import)
23. Various (Live at Hart Plaza) — Various groups playing live in downtown Detroit
24. P.O.D. (Satellite) — excellent metal rap with a message
25. Any disco album with Vicki Sue Robinson, Thelma Houston, Patrick Hernandez, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, etc.