best concept album of all time

[jmac]

Tool - Aenima

I love Tool, but is Aenima a concept album?

Despite the fact that this thread is seven years old I see many people posting the same albums.

I do like that the King is represented.

I'll throw out Shadow Gallery's "Tyranny"

 

[Atomik Rooster]

One that frequently flies under the radar - Jesus Christ Superstar.

 

[Hot Rats]

One that frequently flies under the radar - Jesus Christ Superstar.

Heck ****** yeah! JCS is a staple for me.....Excellent album.
for me best ever woud be
Quad....The Who
Tommy..The Who
The Wall....Floyd
Animals...Floyd
Sgt Pepper...Beatles

and a new one

Chemical Wedding.....Bruce Dickenson.

in no particular order.

 

[Mutato]

Dimension Hatross - Voivod

 

[kelleysdad]

Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus by Spirit
listen for yourselfFree)
http://www.rhapsody.com/spirit/twelve-dreams-of-dr-sardonicus

 

[Vandelay]

The Black Parade- My Chemical Romance.... sounds like a Queen album a bit to me- & was produced by Roy Thomas Baker who did A night at the Opera etc... I'm not even into them as a band but I think it's a good album NOT-definately NOT the BEST concept album but a good one none the less.

Agree that "The Black Parade" is a pretty good concept album, but a slight correction: it was produced by Rob Cavallo, not Roy Thomas Baker. It certainly shows some Queen influence, though.

Cavallo also produced Green Day's "American Idiot", which itself is a pretty good concept album.

 

[tasty sweeps]

ziltoid the omniscient - devin townsend

selling england by the pound - genesis

catch 33 - meshuggah

grundstueck - einstuerzende neubauten [i guess most of their albums could be considered concept albums, really. and they're all great. but this one has a slightly more unconventional concept so it gets the nod]

 

[nysbob]

My two favorites are from the '90s.

Amused to Death - Roger Waters

Psychoderelict - Pete Townsend

Both very powerful and cohesive extended works.

 

[ZombiCrow]

Allan Parsons Project - Tales of Mystery and Imagination

 

[Arctopus]

I could name a fair few, but one of my favourites will always be Pain of Salvation's album "BE".

Ayreon's metal operas are quite nice too! (The Human Equation, anybody?)

 

[Mr. Mig]

In my opinion I would say Sgt. Peppers is the best of them all.

 

[eekmeg]

Any of the Floyd stuff: Wish You Were Here, The Wall, Dark Side of The Moon. I also loved disc 2 of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence from Dream Theater.

 

[daveman50]

1) Willie Nelson, The Red-Headed Stranger.
2) The Who, Tommy.

 

[Tao4Now]

Allan Parsons Project - Tales of Mystery and Imagination

Outstanding nominee centered around the works of Edgar Alan Poe. I often warm up with the walking lines from "The Gold Bug". APP had many other tasty concept albums (I don't think he really put together anything that wasn't), and I'd nominate The Turn of a Friendly Card and the oft-overlooked Ammonia Avenue as well.

I see no one's mentioned Supertramp's Breakfast in America, and its commentary on the music business in general as well as the cultural divide between the USA and England. Really good bass work on that platter, especially "Child of Vision".

I also really enjoy several of the Alice Cooper albums brought up, especially From the Inside (Bernie Taupin assisting with lyrics) and School's Out, and would also mention Goes to Hell as a standout concept album.

With nods to the many mentions of Pink Floyd's The Wall, to be perfectly honest, as much as I adore the album, I don't think Waters' playing stands out particularly well. Still, this would have been my choice if the question were asked many years ago.

Since then, though, I'd have to go with Frank Zappa's Thing Fish. Bizarre concept, but executed to perfection and brought full circle. I don't think anyone but Zappa could have made this album (and no one else likely would have, or should have, tried).

Edit: to the poster who mentioned School's Out with pink panties - the panties also came in blue, yellow and white, depending on the copy you picked up.

 

[bassbrock]

Can you guys define what qualifies as a concept album? I have my own understanding (concept, if you will) but I'm curious what you guys use as qualifiers to label an album a "concept" album.

And to add an album to the thread:

Porcupine Tree - In Absentia

 

[Montsegour]

Scenes from a memory - Dream Theater
Songs of Darkness Words of Light - My Dying Bride

 

[millsbass5]

Queensryche-Operation Mindcrime Pink Floyd-The Wall Iron Maiden-Seventh Son of a Seventh Son Kiss-Music From the Elder(haha)

 

[wodock]

I am glad someone mentioned Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger... and I also like Willies' Phases and Stages (you throw those two in with Waylon's Honkey Tonk Heroes you have the three best country albums ever).

Not country, but great jangley pop music an album that came out earlier this year by the Baseball Project - Vol. 1 Forzen Ropes and Dying Quail. An album all about baseball. The band consists of Scott McCaughey from the Minus 5 and Young Fresh Fellows, Peter Buck from REM and Steve Wynn from the Dream Syndicate. A great song about Ted Williams whitch I can't put the title down. Not you typical baseball album but it has some really great stories.

TW

 

[UncleBalsamic]

The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society.

 

[Caiaphas]

Green Carnation; Light of Day, Day of Darkness.
Vastly underrated band and album, perhaps my favorite listen of the new decade.