NICO (singing): Here she comes, you better watch your step...
MATT: Timeless music and innovative concepts.
QUEEN (singing): Thunderbolts and lightning, very, very frightening, me!
MATT: Welcome to WatchMojo.com,
and today, we'll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Most Important Albums in Rock History.
HETFIELD (singing): Come crawling faster, obey your master...
MATT: For this list, we're looking at rock albums that changed the face of music--and influenced the world--
from beginning to end.
STRUMMER (singing): I live by the river!
MATT: Since we're focusing specifically on innovative albums,
we have excluded Elvis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and Robert Johnson,
as they were more known for their singles rather than their albums.
JOHNSON (singing): Lord, that I'm standin' at the crossroad, baby, I believe I'm sinkin' down....
YORKE (singing): Karma police, arrest this man...
MATT: Just as Britpop slowly drifted away and the digital age opened the door to a brave new world,
Radiohead released an album that explored the themes of fear, melancholy, and insanity.
YORKE (singing): You don't remember, you don't remember, why don't you remember my name? Oh...
MATT: While critics have praised the technical aspects of "OK Computer,"
the visceral experience affected those anticipating a new way of life
and others who simply needed something to identify with.
Call it what you want; Radiohead's iconic album--along with their 2000s follow-up "Kid A"--
waved goodbye to the 20th century and ushered in a new style that would transform alternative rock.
YORKE (singing): No alarms and no surprises, please.
STRUMMER (singing): London calling to the faraway towns, now war is declared and battle come down
MATT: In the mid-to-late 70s, punk rock was on fire,
partially due to the release of the Ramones' self-titled album in 1976.
RAMONES (singing): Hey, ho, let's go!
MATT: Although that album is seen as a staple of punk rock,
it was The Clash's "London Calling" that would have a greater influence on the genre.
STRUMMER (singing): ...stand by me? No, not at all... Did you stand by me?
MATT: Incorporating countless reggae, rock, and jazz influences along with socially conscious lyrics,
"London Calling" acknowledged a shift from rebellion to a post-punk awakening.
SIMONON (singing): Goodbye to the Brixton sun,
(singing) You can crush us, you can bruise us, but you'll have to answer to, oh, the guns of Brixton
MATT: To top it all off, the immensely popular album cover put a stamp on the package
as The Clash launched to the U.S. to spread their message and eclectic sound.
STRUMMER (singing): That's why I'm alive!
(singing): And we're working for the clampdown, and we're working for the clampdown...
MATT: If glam rock was still cool in the 90s, it was only because this early grunge album hadn't dropped yet.
COBAIN (singing): I like it, I'm not gonna cry, I miss you, I'm not gonna cry...
MATT: There's no way Kurt Cobain and his Nirvana bandmates could've predicted the social impact of "Nevermind,"
but their sobering and thrashing style was a musical magnet that reached a new generation of rockers
fed up with the state of music.
COBAIN (singing): He's the one who likes all our pretty songs, and he likes to sing along...
MATT: Despite the initial lukewarm reception,
"Nevermind" exploded across America faster than hair bands could say "leather pants" or "hairspray."
COBAIN (singing): When I swear that I don't have a gun...
MATT: As a result, alternative rock reached the masses,
and Kurt Cobain became the unwilling king of the Seattle grunge scene.
COBAIN (singing): A denial, a denial, a denial....
DYLAN (singing): Once upon a time, you dressed so fine, you threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
MATT: Never trust someone who doesn't like Bob Dylan.
This revolutionary album marked a shift from acoustic to electric
and followed up the equally iconic album "Bringing It All Back Home."
DYLAN (singing): Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me...
MATT: Even before the release of "Highway 61 Revisited,"
bands voraciously expressed their disdain with the change in sound
which was documented at Dylan's infamous Newport Folk Festival appearance.
But like all innovative minds, "Bobby D" had introduced something new,
with even his album title referencing Dylan's musical journey from his folk roots
to the new blues-inspired sound.
DYLAN (singing): Nobody has any respect,
(singing) anyway, they already expect...
MATT: "Highway 61 Revisited" combines sensational lyrics
with some of the best musicians that Dylan could find, which made for a musical trip for the ages.
DYLAN (singing): Mama's in the factory, she ain't got no shoes,
(singing) Daddy's in the alley, he's looking for food,
(singing) I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues....
WILSON (singing): Wouldn't it be nice if we were older? Then we wouldn't have to wait so long...
MATT: Before there was psychedelic rock, there was "Pet Sounds."
This melodic production--written entirely by Brian Wilson--
has often been recognized as one of rock's first concept albums
and changed how people listen to music.
WILSON (singing): God only knows what I'd be without you...
MATT: The title came from the strange-yet-brilliant sound design,
while the lyrical content documented a man's journey through all the trials & tribulations of a relationship.
LOVE (singing): Well, I feel so broke up, I wanna go home...
MATT: "Pet Sounds" changed pop music forever,
and many of today's artists such as Radiohead and Animal Collective cite the album as a major influence.
God only knows what music would be like if this album had never been released.
WILSONS & LOVE (singing in rounds): God only knows what I'd be without you....
OSBOURNE (singing): I've seen a look of evil in your eyes...
MATT: Originally garnering extremely negative reviews from publications like The Village Voice,
this pivotal record has now become identified with the birth of heavy metal.
OSBOURNE (singing): Oh yeah!
While Led Zeppelin and Jeff Beck were already melting faces off in the early 70s,
a misfit group of Birmingham musicians rolled into a studio
and knocked out a classic in one day.
OSBOURNE (singing): Is it the end, my friend?
(singing) Satan's coming 'round the bend...
MATT: Featuring influences from blues rock,
the album has also been credited with giving birth to the "stoner" and "goth rock" genres.
It wasn't cute or contrived; it was pure rock with a visit from some kind of musical devil.
OSBOURNE (singing): Misty morning, clouds in the sky, without warning, a wizard walks by....
HENDRIX (singing): Manic depression is searchin' my soul...
MATT: This album knocked hippies on their ass
and made conservative America pay attention to a new brand of music.
HENDRIX (singing): You've gotta be all mine, all mine,
(singing) Whoo! Foxy lady...
MATT: While the style of Jimi Hendrix had evolved during the mid 60s,
it was his collaboration with a band of British musicians that spawned one of rock's trippiest experiences.
HENDRIX (singing): You got a new groove, ha, I like it like that,
(singing) I have only one a-itchin' desire, let me stand next to your...
REDDING (singing): Let me stand next to your fire...
MATT: Hendrix wrote surrealistic lyrics of love and alien takeovers
while audiences gently wept as his extravagant guitar playing made everything disappear.
The impressive thing about all of this is that "Are You Experienced?" was Jimi's debut album.
HENDRIX (singing): There's a red house over yonder, baby,
(singing) that's where my baby stays...
PLANT (singing): Hey, hey, mama, said the way you move,
(singing) gon' make you sweat, gonna make you groove,
(singing) Ah, ah, child, said the way you swing, gonna make you burn, gonna make you sting...
MATT: After a folky third album and heavy criticism from rock journalists,
Led Zeppelin did the unthinkable and dropped an album with no lettering on the cover album.
PLANT (singing): If it keeps on rainin', the levee's going to break...
Musically, the eight-track composition produced classics like "Black Dog," "Rock and Roll,"
and of course, the timeless "Stairway to Heaven."
By combining folk with heavy metal, Led Zeppelin created a unique sound that stood on its own
and promoted the idea of musicians taking major risks.
"Led Zeppelin IV" was the realization of medieval magic and musical madness.
PLANT (singing): Woo-yeah, it's been a long time, been a long time,
(singing) lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time.
GILMOUR (singing): Money, get away,
MATT: While bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin inspired headbanging in the early 70s,
the introspective lyrics and exquisite sound design of "The Dark Side of the Moon"
led stoners to spark one up, turn off the lights, and lose themselves for 45 minutes.
GILMOUR (singing): Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day,
(singing) fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way...
MATT: Despite the departure of Syd Barrett,
Pink Floyd managed to put together a progressive masterpiece
with ingenious sound mixing and a little bit of patience.
GILMOUR & BACKING VOCALISTS (singing): "Haven't you heard? It's a battle of words," the poster bearer cried...
MATT: Most importantly, the themes of human detachment instantly connected with listeners.
That wouldn't be it for influential Pink Floyd albums, however,
as the band released another progressive rock classic with the 1979 release of "The Wall."
GILMOUR & WATERS (singing): All in all, you're just another brick in the wall...
MATT: Before we unveil our top pick,
here are a few honorable mentions.
HETFIELD (singing): Master of puppets, I'm pulling your strings,
(singing): twisting your mind and smashing your dreams....
DE LA ROCHA (singing): Killing in the name of...
ROSE (singing): Take me down to the Paradise City, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty,
(singing) take... me... home, yeah, yeah.
RICHARDS & JAGGER (singing): Happy, baby, won't you keep me happy? Yeah...
SMITH (singing): I know they're stolen, but I don't feel bad, I take that money, buy you things you never had...
SPRINGSTEEN (singing): ...we'll walk in the sun, but 'til then, tramps like us, baby, we were born to run...
LENNON (singing): Look for the girl with the sun...
LENNON & MCCARTNEY (singing): Lucy in the sky with diamonds...
MATT: Once Paul McCartney heard "Pet Sounds" by The Beach Boys,
he knew the next Beatles album had to be something special.
BEATLES (singing): We're Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band...
MATT: As a result, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" became one of the first art rock albums.
By taking on alter egos for the production, the Beatles could explore unknown territories,
experiment with sound design, and simply have fun.
LENNON (singing): I read the news today, oh boy, 4000 holes in Blackburn, Lancashire...
MATT: The final product stunned critics,
and the lyrical double entendres were perfect for the blossoming counterculture
that was taking over America.
STARR (singing): Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
MATT: The White Album and "Abbey Road" would come later,
but this creative dynamo changed music more than any other piece of music.
LENNON & MCCARTNEY (singing): Lucy in the sky with diamonds, Lucy in the sky with diamonds...
MATT: So, do you agree with our selections?
What is your favorite album in rock history?
For more mind-blowing Top 10s, published daily,
be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
BEATLES (singing): ...Lonely, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band....