20 Most IMPORTANT Classic Rock Albums Ever Made
The building blocks of modern rock.
It's almost an oxymoron to say that a classic rock album is worth listening to. I mean, the selling point is right there in the name...it's already a classic. However, there is more to the old days of rock and roll than just Elvis Presley and Little Richard.
For every typical rock and roll album that came out back in the day, there were others that set the benchmark for what rock would sound like going forward.
Sometimes it was a new recording method, sometimes it was a style of music you'd never heard before, and sometimes it was just some of the best music that rock had to offer. Regardless of how it was perceived, these records managed to flip the entire rock world on its head when they were released.
Though all of these albums have songs that still get played on the radio to this day, there's more to the story than just being at the right place at the right time. With these records in their arsenal, each of these artists managed to rule the rock world and shape the sound of the genre going forward.
For anyone who considers themselves a rock aficionado, these are records that need to be heard to be believed.
20. Purple Rain - Prince
At the beginning of the 80's, the rock sphere was just starting to get infiltrated by a little upstart network known as MTV. While many bands of the 70's had to blow you away with their music, this new medium gave audiences a chance to see the people behind their favorite songs. Though it was a time to flaunt your looks, Prince took the entire concept of rock and molded it in his own image.
On the surface, Purple Rain doesn't really feel like a classic rock album, with all of the R&B flavors and soft tunes laced throughout the album. What gives this record depth though is Prince's insatiable thirst to be the king of the pop heap. Each track does feel like a care-free party, but all of it is carefully refined, with the Purple One providing everything from guitar effects to his shrieking falsetto.
Anyone who even dares to deny the rock chops on display has to listen to the guitar freakout at the end of "Let's Go Crazy" or the solo to end all solos on the title track. Rock may have been changing its look, but Purple Rain is one of those rare records that goes in a thousand different directions and hits a bullseye every time.