Classic rock will always be cool, and quite a few albums released during the genre’s heyday are still on regular rotation among fans and radio stations alike. Some albums, though, are simply on another level. Let’s look at a few classic rock albums that charted for a notably long amount of time. A few of these probably won’t surprise you at all; they’re just that good.
‘Greatest Hits’ by Guns N’ Roses
It’s not surprising at all that a greatest hits album makes it to this list, considering how popular such compilation albums have been in the past. For rock band Guns N’ Roses, their 2004 Greatest Hits comp ended up being one of the band’s best-selling works. It topped the UK Albums chart and hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200 after it was released. It remained on the latter chart for an impressive 631 total weeks. And they did it with almost no promotion ahead of time.
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‘Journey’s Greatest Hits’ by Journey
Another greatest hits album makes it to this list, and it comes as no surprise. Journey’s 1988 Greatest Hits compilation album is the band’s best-selling disc of their career. This album, which contains hits like “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Only The Young”, among others, spent 882 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. Every self-respecting Journey fan snatched this album up when it was released. It remains the gift that keeps on giving.
‘Nevermind’ by Nirvana
Nirvana changed the world of alternative rock with their beloved sophomore album, Nevermind. Released in 1991, this record marked the peak of grunge as a mainstream genre, and it stayed on the charts for a shocking 572 weeks. This grunge album marked a cultural shift in rock music, and many believe it also marked the end of the classic rock era. I’ll let you be the judge of that.
‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ by Pink Floyd
It’s one of the most legendary classic rock albums of all time, and it also happens to be the longest-charting classic rock album of all time. Pink Floyd’s 1973 album The Dark Side Of The Moon has spent a total of 962 weeks on the Billboard charts. That’s absolutely insane, and it could very well start charting again once Gen Z rediscovers the absolutely trip that is this psychedelic prog-rock album.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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