10 Great Classic Rock Albums That Shaped the Genre

Classic rock is not a monolith. Just because someone says they listen to it doesn't necessarily mean they like The Allman Brothers Band, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, or David Bowie. There are too many subgenres—roughly two decade's worth of music, depending on your definition—to lump them all together under one umbrella. But we tend do it anyway; so when determining what's the best of the bunch, it's wise to include a vast array of artists and tones for the vast array of fans. (Not necessarily over a vast period of time, though, as the mid-60s through the mid-70s is more or less the primary period of "classic" rock.)

Of course, that also goes for the best classic rock albums. And since there have been so many records that inspired so many bands, it's hard to know where to begin when it comes to the ones that had a particularly large influence on the others. One searches through The Beatles' or Led Zeppelin's discography and wonders which ones had more influence than the others. It's incalculable, but at least you can hardly go wrong with bands like that. The following list features only one album per group, as there are so many musicians (and unique albums from each) that can be listed here. In no particular order, here are ten amazing albums that helped shape classic rock as we know it.

10 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'

Elton John

Elton John's most important period was the front half of the 70s, and his greatest achievement has to be his incredible double-album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. This pinnacle of rock is absolutely loaded with hits: "Candle in the Wind," "Bennie and the Jets," "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," and the title track are some of Sir Elton's most famous songs.

Meanwhile, even the lesser-known tracks are really good. "This Song Has No Title" is a short but moving piano piece, "Grey Seal" is lots of fun, "All the Girls Love Alice" is underrated, and "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" is one of the greatest rock epics of all time. This impressively consistent record helped make Elton John one of the most definitive stars of his time, and rock just wouldn't be the same without it.

9 'Who's Next?'

The Who

The Who is one of the biggest rock bands of all time, and Who's Next is arguably pound-for-pound their finest record. Tommy and Quadrophenia are famous rock operas, sure, but this album is just musically superior. First of all, it has both the incredible "Baba O'Riley" and gorgeous "Behind Blue Eyes." "Bargain" is a breezy five-and-a-half minutes that reminds one of the longer "Won't Get Fooled Again," (which is another classic on this album).

Even the less impressive tracks are fun: "Love Ain't For Keeping" is a nice short acoustic number, and "My Wife" is upbeat enough to keep things moving (especially with those horns in the middle). "The Song Is Over" and "Getting in Tune" are both pleasant ballads that don't feel too repetitive despite their lengths, and "Going Mobile" does a good job of picking up the pace. Every song is a winner here, and rock was made all the better for it.

8 'Pronounced 'Len-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd'

Lynyrd Skynyrd

The British Invasion may have set off the classic rock era in the 60s, but we can't neglect the American South's influence in the 70s. Lynyrd Skynyrd's debut album is one of the strongest you can find (not to mention one of the most amusing titles, as they use phonetics to explicitly tell their listeners how to pronounce the band's bizarre name). "I Ain't the One" kicks things off with a good riff, and "Tuesday's Gone" is one of the most moving rock epics out there.

"Simple Man" and "Free Bird" further demonstrate how this album is at its best when it's hitting a sadder, softer tone. They're also the only two other songs you really need to know about to count this album among the greats, but there's other good stuff here worth mentioning. The way those two guitars play off each other at the beginning of "Things Goin' On" is so much fun, and "Poison Whiskey" has a nice riff. To many, this album is synonymous with rock.

7 'The Doors'

The Doors

Psychedelic rock must be included as an integral part of rock history, and no one executed it quite like The Doors. Most (if not all) of their albums were significantly influential, and none less so than their eponymous debut record. Starting off with the somewhat jazzy hit single "Break on Through," this album would prove to have some of the rock's most unorthodox masterpieces. Another exceptional example would be "Light My Fire," which has one of the most iconic keyboard riffs of all time.

This album just doesn't miss: the lively "Alabama Song," the organ-heavy "Soul Kitchen," the bluesy "Back Door Man," the spacey "End of the Night." Of course, the album leaves its greatest accomplishment for last: "The End." It's an epic that seriously expanded other musicians' idea of what rock could do. The Doors made a permanent stamp on American culture with this record alone, and, even after nearly six decades, it won't be forgotten any time soon.

6 'Let it Bleed'

The Rolling Stones

We've got to talk about The Rolling Stones. Just imagine if the first song on your album were the absolutely perfect anti-war classic "Gimme Shelter." In relatively stark contrast, a number of the following tracks on Let it Bleed hearken way back to rock's roots: "Love in Vain" is pure blues, "Country Honk" speaks for itself, "Live with Me" has a great bassline, "You Got the Silver" has the kind of slide-heavy blues that's hard to skip, and "Midnight Rambler" is another blues piece but with refreshing harmonica.

"Gimmer Shelter" isn't the only beloved boundary-pusher, though. "Monkey Man" starts off with an enticing introduction and only gets better from there. The final song is none other than the one-and-only "You Can't Always Get What You Want." The Rolling Stones' status wouldn't be quite as high without this album—nor would rock and roll's.

5 'Electric Ladyland'

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Time for some Jimi Hendrix! Electric Ladyland is his double-album magnum opus, and Hendrix's most sublime contribution to rock must also be considered one of the most fundamental albums of the genre. There are too many songs to discuss them all here, but there's no need to. The fifteen-minute jam that is "Voodoo Chile" is some of the most powerful blues ever recorded, and "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" is one of Hendrix's best and most successful singles.

You can't talk about this album without mentioning Hendrix's famous cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower." Few things sound cooler than this mix of bar chords on the acoustic with all those electric licks. Along with such tracks as the fascinating "1983...(A Mermaid I Should Turn to Be)," the most straightforward "Crosstown Traffic," and the title track, you've got an album filled with precious rock gems that's inspired countless others.

4 'The Dark Side of the Moon'

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd recorded several of the most important classic rock albums of all time, and The Dark Side of the Moon may just be the most iconic of them all. "Speak to M" is possibly the most immersive introduction to any rock album, using recorded interview segments with various other sound effects to culminate in a psychedelic explosion. "Breathe" is pure rock poetry (lyrically and musically), "On the Run" sounds like the soundtrack to an amazing sci-fi thriller, and "Time" is brilliant (from the clocks to its reprise of "Breathe").

"The Great Gig in the Sky" combines one of the most intense singing solos of all time with one of the most dreamlike piano chord sequences. "Money" is one of Pink Floyd's biggest hits, and it's not hard to see why. Along with the rest of the album, it's astonishing to hear a record with songs that segue so smoothly into each other without losing their unique individuality. It's required listening for any fan of rock history, period.

3 'Highway 61 Revisited'

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan obviously had an incalculable impact on folk and rock. He inspired everybody: The Beatles paid homage with songs like "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," Stealers Wheel had "Stuck in the Middle with You," and The Who mentions him in "The Seeker." Those are just a few examples, of course, but such albums as Highway 61 Revisited show that nobody does Dylan as well as Dylan himself.

This is the record that begins with the masterpiece "Like a Rolling Stone," easily one of Dylan's greatest songs (acoustic or electric). This one also has the enticingly fast-paced "Tombstone Blues," the memorable "Queen Jane Approximately," the energetic "Highway 61 Revisited," and the acoustic epic "Desolation Row." Dylan's electric shift was still very controversial at the time, but this album alone demonstrated (to fans and aspiring musicians alike) that subverting expectations was worth it.

2 'Abbey Road'

The Beatles

The Beatles were almost done when Abbey Road came out in 1969, but they sure didn't let their internal conflicts get in the way of their creativity. It's pretty hard to make an album whose first two songs are as strong as "Come Together" and "Something" (one of the best rock ballads of all time). Sure, there's a song here or there that's weaker than the others, but even such pieces as "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and "Octopus's Garden" have their charm.

"I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is one hell of a blues giant, and "Here Comes the Sun" ranks among the greatest acoustic guitar songs ever made. Then we get that medley at the end, in which a series of shorter tracks that vary in tone string together and build up to the dramatic "Carry that Weight." Then there's "The End," which is an amusing anti-climax, and the hidden song "Her Majesty"—making this one of the most surprising and influential rock albums by a mile.

1 'Led Zeppelin'

Led Zeppelin

Really every Led Zeppelin album through Physical Graffiti helped define classic rock, so let's just go back to the one that shaped it first: 1969's Led Zeppelin. "Good Times, Bad Times" is as energetic a way to start a record as any, but things only get better from there. "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" is absolutely gorgeous (and somewhat menacing), "You Shook Me" is one of the best Muddy Waters covers ever done, and "Dazed and Confused" is by far the most epic version of the track.

"Your Time is Gonna Come" and "Black Mountain Side" add some welcome variety to the album, from the resplendent organ to the raw acoustic guitar. "Communication Breakdown" is so-so, but the album ends with "I Can't Quit You Baby" and "How Many More Times." When it comes to hard rock and blues, Zeppelin immediately showed that it was the band to take notes from. Without this first album, rock wouldn't have reached such tremendous heights.