100 Greatest Lyrical Albums

Negative Creep · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 5:21 pm **Posts:** 12261

Agreed.

Classic Rock Junkie · **Joined:** Wed Oct 13, 2010 2:05 am **Posts:** 1919

IMO, Strange Days was always The Doors best lyrical album, and I still think it's their overall 'best' album, maybe not most important, but the 'best'. Totally top 10 albums.

Classic Rock Junkie · **Joined:** Wed Oct 13, 2010 2:05 am **Posts:** 1919

Negative Creep wrote:

Strange Days for Morrison's highest. The debut is awesome but also has a few lyrical duds, like Back Door Man, I Looked At You, and Alabama Song.
I would've thought Quad would be Townshend's #1, without question.

:eh:

2 of the 3 songs you mentioned are covers btw. Alabama Song is from the Three Penny Opera and Back Door Man is an old blues song from 60's.

Quadrophenia IS Townshend's best lyrically, why it's not in top 5 or 6 is ridiculous.

Deany · **Posted:** Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:54 am

No way in hell does Quad beat Highway. There is no feasible argument. It should probably replace Who's Next in the Top 10, though. Who's Next isn't even greater than Armed Forces, which I think could be raised.

Here's what I'm thinking:
1. Blood On The Tracks
2. Born To Run
3. Songs Of Leonard Cohen
4. Late For The Sky
5. On The Beach
6. Highway 61 Revisited
7. Bringing It All Back Home
8. Dark Side Of The Moon
9. Quadrophenia
10. Strange Days
11. Imagine
12. Blue
13. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, And Thyme
14. Armed Forces
15. Songs Of Love And Hate
16. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
17. Blonde On Blonde
18. Rust Never Sleeps
19. Astral Weeks
20. Who's Next
21. The Doors
22. Animals
23. Rubber Soul
24. Imperial Bedroom
25. Warren Zevon
26. For Everyman
27. After The Gold Rush
28. Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire)
29. Ladies Of The Canyon
30. Rain Dogs

Negative Creep · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 5:21 pm **Posts:** 12261

Classic Rock Junkie wrote:

IMO, Strange Days was always The Doors best lyrical album, and I still think it's their overall 'best' album, maybe not most important, but the 'best'. Totally top 10 albums.

YES.

Negative Creep · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 5:21 pm **Posts:** 12261

I fucken LOVE Parsley being in the top 15, truly one of the best!

But maybe Revolver > Rubber Soul?

Hendrix · **Joined:** Sat Oct 16, 2010 7:55 am **Posts:** 396

Deany wrote:

No way in hell does Quad beat Highway. There is no feasible argument. It should probably replace Who's Next in the Top 10, though. Who's Next isn't even greater than Armed Forces, which I think could be raised.

Here's what I'm thinking:
1. Blood On The Tracks
2. Born To Run
3. Songs Of Leonard Cohen
4. Late For The Sky
5. On The Beach
6. Highway 61 Revisited
7. Quadrophenia
8. Strange Days
9. Bringing It All Back Home
10. Dark Side Of The Moon
11. Imagine
12. Blue
13. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, And Thyme
14. Armed Forces
15. Songs Of Love And Hate
16. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
17. Blonde On Blonde
18. Rust Never Sleeps
19. Astral Weeks
20. Who's Next
21. The Doors
22. Rubber Soul
23. After The Gold Rush
24. Imperial Bedroom
25. Excitable Boy

I'd have "Warren Zevon" as Zevon's highest album... Apart from that, i agree with this... Except i think Pink Floyd's "Animals" is good enough, lyrically, to be in there... Would probably put it in "After The Gold Rush"' place... I think it's more impressive...

The Man · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:19 am

Why did Dark Side get kicked down so much? I thought it was perfect where it was.

Deany · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:33 am

We're using the same criteria as the Lyrical Performances list, right?

BiABH vs. DSotM
Influence: BiABH
Cultural Impact: Overall, DSotM; lyrically, probably BiABH
Linguistic Showcase: BiABH
Creativity: BiABH

It's up against a Dylan album, what did you expect?

Deany · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:37 am

Hendrix wrote:

Deany wrote:

No way in hell does Quad beat Highway. There is no feasible argument. It should probably replace Who's Next in the Top 10, though. Who's Next isn't even greater than Armed Forces, which I think could be raised.

Here's what I'm thinking:
1. Blood On The Tracks
2. Born To Run
3. Songs Of Leonard Cohen
4. Late For The Sky
5. On The Beach
6. Highway 61 Revisited
7. Quadrophenia
8. Strange Days
9. Bringing It All Back Home
10. Dark Side Of The Moon
11. Imagine
12. Blue
13. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, And Thyme
14. Armed Forces
15. Songs Of Love And Hate
16. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
17. Blonde On Blonde
18. Rust Never Sleeps
19. Astral Weeks
20. Who's Next
21. The Doors
22. Rubber Soul
23. After The Gold Rush
24. Imperial Bedroom
25. Excitable Boy

I'd have "Warren Zevon" as Zevon's highest album... Apart from that, i agree with this... Except i think Pink Floyd's "Animals" is good enough, lyrically, to be in there... Would probably put it in "After The Gold Rush"' place... I think it's more impressive...

Took care of that and added a few more names just so I could put in Ladies Of The Canyon and For Everyman.

The Man · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:40 am

I disagree on the cultural and linguistic categories. Cultural would have to be Dark Side, lyrically or otherwise. It's one of the most well-known albums ever made, and the lyrics are a big part of that.

Admittedly, linguistic ability showcased is pretty subjective, but that I would give to Dark Side as well. Time, Us and Them, Brain Damage, and Eclipse are all beautiful.

And even if it doesn't deserve to be above BIABH, maybe BOTH of them should be moved up. I don't see what Strange Days or Quadrophenia (which are fantastic albums lyrically) have over Dark Side

Deany · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:43 am

I agree with you there, but I guess I was sorta going for a compromise or something. If I had my way, it'd be:

7. BiABH
8. DSotM
9. Quad
10. Strange Days

The Man · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:52 am

I was one of the ones who wanted Quad in the top ten, and I like that ^ better than what it is now. I feel like Dark Side's impact is just too massive to have it that low

Hendrix · **Joined:** Sat Oct 16, 2010 7:55 am **Posts:** 396

It may be a bit early in the decision, but I've tried to make a possible draft for the 31-40 range (mainly to secure that Nick Cave gets his recognition :roll:

). The placements are a thrown, but i think the names are more or less correct...

31. The Velvet Underground & Nico - Lou Reed
32. The Smiths - Morrissey
33. I'm Your Man - Leonard Cohen
34. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! - Nick Cave
35. Vitalogy - Eddie Vedder
36. Graceland - Paul Simon
37. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band - John Lennon/Paul McCartney
38. The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle - Bruce Springsteen
39. In Utero - Kurt Cobain
40. Exodus - Bob Marley

Avery_Island · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:49 am

I said this before but I think BiABH should be #1 instead of BoTT and IMO it's not even close. It beats BoTT in every criteria

Influence: BiABH - I'd say it was his most influential album lyrically, as that was the one where he began to abandon his folk leanings and start with the surreal storytelling.

Cultural Impact: BiABH by a mile - The lyrics to "Subterranean Homesick Blues" "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "It's Alright Ma" far exceed anything off BoTT in terms of cultural impact.

Linguistic Showcase: BiABH - Far more varied style of songs. BoTT is mainly just love songs. BiABH has surreal storytelling, political songs, love songs and pretty much everything Dylan is famous for lyrically on one album.

Creativity: BiABH - Again, his use of surreal storytelling and , as well as unusual rhyming schemes on the likes of "It's Alright Ma" is far more creative than BoTT.

100 Greatest Lyrical Albums

Who is online