Criteria:
Popularity: Chart positions, sales, and radio plays. Use in popular culture.
Musical Impact: Overall recognition from the music industry/admiration/acclaim.
Influence: The influence that albums passed musically and culturally.



1. Are You Experienced? - (Jimi Hendrix Experience)
2. Led Zeppelin II - (Led Zeppelin)
3. Nevermind - (Nirvana)
4. Who's Next - (The Who)
5. Led Zeppelin IV - (Led Zeppelin)
6. Paranoid - (Black Sabbath)
7. Led Zeppelin - (Led Zeppelin)
8. Machine Head - (Deep Purple)
9. Never Mind the Bollocks - (Sex Pistols)
10. Van Halen - (Van Halen)
11. Master of Puppets - (Metallica)
12. Ten - (Pearl Jam)
13. Back in Black - (AC/DC)
14. Black Sabbath - (Black Sabbath)
15. Appetite For Destruction - (Guns N'Roses)
16. London Calling - (The Clash)
17. Quadrophenia - (The Who)
18. Electric Ladyland - (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
19. Disraeli Gears - (Cream)
20. In Utero - (Nirvana)
21. The Ramones - (The Ramones)
22. The Clash - (The Clash)
23. Physical Graffiti - (Led Zeppelin)
24. In Rock - (Deep Purple)
25. Blood Sugar Magik - (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
26. Rage Against the Machine - (Rage Against the Machine)
27. Superunknown - (Soundgarden)
28. Highway to Hell - (AC/DC)
29. The Who Sings My Generation - (The Who)
30. Reign In Blood - (Slayer)
31. Toys in the Attic - (Aerosmith)
32. Dookie - (Green Day)
33. Number of the Beast - (Iron Maiden)
34. Led Zeppelin III - (Led Zeppelin)
35. Daydream Nation - (Sonic Youth)
36. American Idiot - (Green Day)
37. Ace of Spades - (Motorhead)
38. Aqualung - (Jethro Tull)
39. Kill Em' All - (Metallica)
40. Boston - (Boston)
41. Truth - (Jeff Beck Group)
42. 2112 - (Rush)
43. Ride the Lightning - (Metallica)
44. Dirt - (Alice in Chains)
45. British Steel - (Judas Priest)
46. Sheer Heart Attack - (Queen)
47. Who Sell Out - (The Who)
48. Hysteria - (Def Leppard)
49. School's Out - (Alice Cooper)
50. Lust For Life - (The Stooges)

1. Are You Experienced?
2. Who's Next
3. Led Zeppelin IV

Dammit Herb, great idea, I had originally wanted to do this!

If you're including live albums, then I think Live At Leeds is mandatory for the top 10.
And I think Quadrophenia should be their highest.

Must-have names -
Paranoid (Sabbath)
Machine Head (Deep Purple)
Kick Out The Jams (MC5)
Nevermind (Nirvana)
Nevermind The Bullocks (Sex Pistols)
Alive! (KISS)
Van Halen (Van Halen)
Highway To Hell (AC/DC)

Jeff Beck Group - Truth (1968)
Alice Cooper - Killer (1971)
The Stooges (1969)
Ted Nugent (1975)
Bob Seger - Mongrel (1970)
David Bowie - The Man Who Sold the World (1970)
Grand Funk Railroad - Live Album (1970)
Uriah Heep - Demons & Wizards (1972)
Blue Oyster Cult (1972)
Budgie - In For the Kill (1974)
Nazareth - Loud N Proud (1974)
Rainbow - Rainbow Rising (1976)
UFO - Strangers in the Night (1979)
Lou Reed - Rock & Roll Animal (1974)

"Are You Experienced" is probably the main factor for number 1. It is probably the most influential hard rock album of all time.



Oh yeah, that's one of my favorites, especially when Keith Moon starts goofing off and Townshend smacks him across the head.

Hows this for a top 10?:
1. Are You Experienced – Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)
2. Who’s Next – The Who (1971)
3. Led Zeppelin IV – Led Zeppelin (1971)
4. Nevermind – Nirvana (1991)
5. Paranoid – Black Sabbath (1970
6. Back in Black – AC/DC (1980)
7. Made in Japan - Deep Purple (1972)
8. Led Zeppelin II – Led Zeppelin (1969)
9. Machine Head – Deep Purple (1972)
10. Live at Leeds – The Who (1970)

Move Machine Head to #7, lose Made in Japan, bump Live at Leeds to #9, and add In Rock at #10.

I fully support this.
Wicked album with two of their best tunes (the title track and Crash Course In Brain Surgery)

You don't think it's top 10 worthy?

It's probably not greater than either Machine Head or In Rock.

1. Are You Experienced – Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)
2. Who’s Next – The Who (1971)
3. Led Zeppelin IV – Led Zeppelin (1971)
4. Nevermind – Nirvana (1991)
5. Paranoid – Black Sabbath (1970
6. Back in Black – AC/DC (1980)
7. Machine Head – Deep Purple (1972)
8. In Rock – Deep Purple (1970)
9. Led Zeppelin II – Led Zeppelin (1969)
10. Live at Leeds – The Who (1970)

I think we got ourselves a top 10.

In Rock shouldn't be any higher than #10.

If I was to order these albums I would go:

1. Are You Experienced
2. Led Zeppelin II
3. Who's Next
4. Led Zeppelin IV
5. Paranoid
6. Nevermind
7. Live at Leeds
8. Machine Head
9. Back in Black
10. Deep Purple in Rock

The following albums are probably greater than the bottom four albums of this top ten: "Never Mind the Bollocks", "Ramones", "Electric Ladyland", "Led Zeppelin", "Appetite for Destruction".

"Back in Black" and "Live at Leeds" are staying in the top 10. So is "Machine Head". If I were to choose one of those, I would choose "Appetite for Destruction" and place it at number 10, but everyone else has to agree on it.

Why? You seem to be another one of those posters with a strong classic rock background and complete ignorance concerning punk and alt-rock.