Greatest Concept Albums Of All Time

[Coral Sky Music]

What are your Top 3 Concept Albums (Full Albums) of all time?
We will kick it off...
1. Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
2. Fates Warning - A Pleasant Shade Of Gray
3. Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt 2, Scenes From A Memory

 

[bodia]

Solid choices! In no particular order:

1) Rush - Clockwork Angels
2) Pink Floyd - The Wall
3) W.A.S.P. - The Crimson Idol

 

[RaySachs]

Concept and Album are two words that have no business being used together. Not because it doesn't make sense but because the results usually suck. Tommy should be mentioned, but was that a concept album or a rock opera or both?

Or Exile on Main Street, which nobody's ever talked about as a concept album, but is as conceptually and internally consistent as any album I've ever heard and, to boot, my all time desert island album.

Or Rust Never Sleeps - was that a concept album?

Of the ones mentioned above, I'd go with The Wall for sure, but I don't think I've listened to it since about 1982.

I guess I'm just conceptually confused by the concept of the "concept album".

Hence, tough to come up with a favorite or three...

 

[Dusty Chalk]

A concept album is an album tied together with a single concept. It can be anything from a linear coherent story such as Tommy, to something more abstract like Dark Side of the Moon. I have to admit, I didn't see a coherent concept tying DSOTM together until recently (and by recently, I mean less than 22 years ago). It's 'various aspects of life':
Speak to Me -- communication (everything run together at once being their sardonic statement on the subject)
Time -- time
On the Run -- travel
Great Gig in the Sky -- religion
Any Colour You Like -- vision
Us & Them -- conflict/war
Money -- money
etc.

Seems pretty clear to me now, in hindsight.

Mine:

Planet P Project, Pink World
Jeff Wayne, War of the Worlds
Rick Wakeman, The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
Alan Parsons Project, I, Robot

 

[Huggy Love]

Joe's Garage .......... hands down, I can only pick one.

Any album with a song called "Why does it hurt when I pee?" is a winner in my book.

 

[Lister]

Pet Sounds
American Idiot
Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Joe's Garage
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

 

[Deli6505]

I know which one I'm really looking forward to hearing in its entirety: Tremonti's "A Dying Machine". From what I've heard so far, it's pretty damn awesome.

 

[alantig]

Man, tough one. Right now, I'd say my top three are...

1. Joe's Garage - Frank Zappa.
2. Quadrophenia - The Who.
3. Hounds Of Love - Kate Bush. Maybe not a full-fledged concept, but side two most definitely is. If not, I'd probably replace it with Music From 'The Elder' by Kiss.

Lots I'm leaving off, lots I'm not going to remember until way later.

Glad to see someone else likes Planet P, although I'd put their first album on here (but the concept is stronger with Pink World). And Mindcrime.

 

[walrus]

1. Sgt. Pepper
2. Diamond Dogs
3. Clockwork Angels

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Glad to see someone else likes Planet P, although I'd put their first album on here (but the concept is stronger with Pink World).

They're like completely different albums, though the underlying concept (Tony Carey doing more ...uh...I don't know what the word is -- Planet P Project -type music? It's less singer-songwriter, sounds more like an ensemble, even though it's still his project) is the same. Pink World is full-on prog, with repeated themes, a rock opera story about an unlikely post-apocalyptic under-aged messiah...but what gets me ultimately is the music -- that album is just so jam-packed with hooks that seem to be targeted directly at me. The first album is more song-oriented.

Also glad that someone else appreciates him/them.

 

[WEDGE]

Check out Streets by Savatage. Killer tunes and huge guitar tones.

 

[veinbuster]

Off the top of my head I think I’ll go with:
Thick as a Brick
The Wall
Tubular Bells

 

[Wakester]

A concept album is an album tied together with a single concept. It can be anything from a linear coherent story such as Tommy, to something more abstract like Dark Side of the Moon. I have to admit, I didn't see a coherent concept tying DSOTM together until recently (and by recently, I mean less than 22 years ago). It's 'various aspects of life':
Speak to Me -- communication (everything run together at once being their sardonic statement on the subject)
Time -- time
On the Run -- travel
Great Gig in the Sky -- religion
Any Colour You Like -- vision
Us & Them -- conflict/war
Money -- money
etc.

Seems pretty clear to me now, in hindsight.

Mine:

Planet P Project, Pink World
Jeff Wayne, War of the Worlds
Rick Wakeman, The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
Alan Parsons Project, I, Robot

+1 for War of the Worlds

 

[Wakester]

Misplaced Childhood - Marillion
Vigil - Fish
War of the Worlds - Jeff Wayne

 

[jxe]

blue oyster cult - secret treaties
the auteurs - after murder park
kool keith - dr octagynycologyst

 

[Alan Manning]

Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. David Bowie.
Sgt Peppers. Beatles.
Journey To The Centre Of The Earth. Rick Wakeman.

 

[dmatthews]

Off the top of my head I think I’ll go with:
Thick as a Brick
The Wall
Tubular Bells

Thick as a Brick... you beat me to it... again

 

[Coral Sky Music]

Solid choices! In no particular order:

1) Rush - Clockwork Angels
2) Pink Floyd - The Wall
3) W.A.S.P. - The Crimson Idol

Love the original Crimson Idol!!

 

[DISTORT6]

Mindcrime.
When I put it on, it’s from start to finish. No skipping or picking out individual tracks.
All or nothing.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

kool keith - dr octagynycologyst