100 Greatest Rock Albums: #21-40

Here we go! The list continues. Led Zeppelin (one of my favorite ever) make their first appearance. Two albums by a pair of leading ladies really stood out in the best way, while an album by the band Love stood out in the worst. John Lennon absolutely kills it on a solo project, and I'm patiently waiting on Spinal Tap's "This is Spinal Tap" to show up on the list. I'll be holding my breath, Rolling Stone.

#21 Chuck Berry, "The Great Twenty-Eight" - Chuck Berry was a masterful story teller. These songs are poppy, fun, and catchy. Berry released 28 singles in a row in the late 50s - all major hits. Give some of these a listen if you're having a bad day. It'll cheer you up.

#22 Robert Johnson, "The Complete Recordings" - Regarded as the greatest blues musician of all time, Robert Johnson only sat twice in a recording studio. Here are some of his original recordings.

Warning: they are rough. Audio quality wasn't that great in the 1940s. Just pay attention to the originality, and listen for licks, tricks, and riffs that every modern day rock/blues/country guitarist still use.

#23 John Lennon, "Plastic Ono Band - I once heard a radio DJ (who's musical taste I respect very much) say, "If John Lennon were alive, he'd make music like Jack White's." Being a huge fan of Jack White, I dismissed this. After listening to this album, I completely see what the DJ was talking about. This thing is raw. If you're a fan of modern rockers like Jack White, give this one a listen.

#24 Stevie Wonder, "Innervisions" - Stevie Wonder's "Innervisions" was disappointing to me. I couldn't get into it at all. I think I loved that last John Lennon album so much, this could be a case of the sophomore slump. There were a few highlights - "Don't you worry bout a thing" is a classic track that anyone will recognize immediately, but other than that, it was kinda... meh...

#25 James Brown, "Live at the Apollo" - If you have any preconceived notions, memories, or opinions about James Brown or his music, they most definitely stem from this album. This is Brown at his finest - ad libbing, shouting, screaming, and hollering at the audience before, during, and after every song. I'm sweating just from listening to the performance.

#26 Fleetwood Mac, "Rumours" - You haven't heard this album? Really? Shame on you.

#27 U2, "Joshua Tree" - Some magazines and critics rank this album as a top 10. Rolling Stone has it coming in at a respectable 27, and I find myself agreeing. Some really great stuff on this album. You've probably heard 75% of the songs a million times before, but they're worth listening to again. I want to include a comment from my friend, Chappell Guthrie (who knows more about music than I could ever dream. He introduced me to Radiohead - I think that says it all). "U2 is my favorite band. What really makes Joshua Tree great is the back half of the album that isn't full of world famous singles, where you can really hear the emotion and the Americana influence that was pushing them at the time."

#28 The Who, "Who's Next" - This album has the greatest 1-2 punch of any album so far. It leads with Baba O'Riley and follow with Bargain. The whole album is solid start to finish.

#29 Led Zeppelin, "Led Zeppelin" - FINALLY A ZEPPELIN ALBUM!!!!!!! The album starts out with four powerhouse songs, but the highlight for me is the instrumental track 6 - Black Mountain Side. Boham's drums on this track are freaking sweet. Zeppelin is one of my favorite bands of all time. I could listen to their whole discography start to finish.

#30 Joni Mitchell, "Blue" - This album sparked a revelation for me. There's one of two common threads laced through these albums: Either the music is so unique and spectacular that no one has yet replicated it (Miles Davis, "Kind of Blue"; Bob Dylan's albums), or the music influences generations of artists into the future. Joni Mitchell's "Blue" is the latter. Its the ultimate breakup album. Taylor Swift, Fiona Apple, Alanis Morrisette - all heavily influenced by Mitchell. You must give this album a listen. Mitchell's vocal gymnastics are highly impressive and her guitar playing is equal, if not better.

#31 Bob Dylan, "Bringing It All Back Home" - Not only the weakest Dylan album on the countdown so far, but maybe the weakest by any artist. Did not care for this one. Skip. Edit: There is one redeeming track I forgot to mention: "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream." Its the last track on the a-side. Dylan strikes a chord, begins the first syllable of the first word, then bursts into laughter. Its so spontaneous, endearing, and genuine that it made me laugh out loud too.

TL;DR: Listen to Dylan laugh on track 7.

#32 Rolling Stones, "Let it Bleed" - Blues, country, rock, anthems - its got everything you want on a rock and roll record. Book ended by "Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want", the Stones keep it rolling from start to finish.

#33 Ramones, "Ramones" - What a strange album. 14 songs pounded out in 28 short minutes. Not one song is over 3 minutes long. Exactly ZERO guitar solos - not one on the whole album. I don't think I heard a song with more than 4 chords. The vocals are more like chanting than singing. And the song titles are crazy too. Listen to the first song. If you hate it then skip the whole album. If it seems oddly interesting, then give the rest a listen.

#34 The Band, "Music From Big Pink" - The Band backed up Dylan on tour in the early 60s. In 1968, they released this gem. I really enjoyed listening to this album. I recognized "The Weight," from the radio and such, but every other song was new to me. It was a great addition to my classic rock catalog.

#35 David Bowie, "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" - Bowie wins the award for best album title thus far. This is the album that gave birth to the 80s glam rock, power ballad. If you're into sweet 80s music, listen to this album (released in 1972) and learn about the roots.

#36 Carole King, "Tapestry" - This (Legecy Edition) release has Carole King doing live renditions of all the songs. I'd highly recommend starting with it before you listen to the studio. King improvised some really neat stuff. Nothing major, just suble changes in melodic choices. If I could recommend one album as highly as I did the John Lennon album, it would be this one. King flat out kills it on every song.

#37 Eagles, "Hotel California" - Sorry, but I don't understand why this one is so high on the list. Yeah, we all love Hotel California and Life in the Fast Lane, but that's about it. Pass on this album. Just listen to the first song.

#38 Muddy Waters, "Anthology" - 50 songs by the second greatest blues guitarist of all time. Every song is worth hearing, just don't try to do it all in one sitting. I got burned out after 20 or so songs and had to revisit it a week later.

#39 The Beatles, "Please Please Me" - Not available on Spotify

#40 Love, "Forever Changes" - This is the first album where I was all like, "WTF M8?! How did this one make it?" I guess they influenced bands like Chicago and Steely Dan with all the brass instrumentation, but overall I just don't get it. It reminds me of the Spinal Tap song "Listen to the Flower People." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrJlyapt6OY)