Some albums—even those from your favorite artists—you have to babysit. With some, you have to sit there by the stereo or your playlist and fast-forward through many of tracks. Sure, the first song is great, but two and three are too slow. Four is awesome, but track seven just doesn’t hit.
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But what about those albums that just might be perfect? And even better, what if those albums are from your favorite classic rock bands and artists. Indeed, what are the most classic of classic rock, those rare records you don’t have to skip any tracks?
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Well, dear reader, here below, we’ve compiled a list of four such records. These LPs require no babysitting. So, sick pack, throw on the album, and let each song wash over you in perfect bliss.
1. The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd (1973)
We won’t even go into the fun you can have listening to this Pink Floyd album while syncing it up with The Wizard of Oz. Instead, we’ll just focus on the music, which is sublime. Psyechedlic (“On the Run”), rich with excellent guitar work (“Time”) and impressive vocal work (“The Great Gig In The Sky“), this record is at the top of the pyramid when it comes to classic rock records. Not only are there no skips, it’s one you’ll want to repeat right after finishing it.
2. Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin (1971)
Sometimes bands work so hard and get in such a groove that they write a record that could easily double as a greatest hits album. And that is very much the case with the 1971 album known as Led Zeppelin IV from the British-born band Led Zeppelin. Songs like “Black Dog,” “Rock and Roll,” “Stairway to Heaven,” “Going to California” and, the ender, “When the Levee Breaks,” this record is incredible. And don’t worry, every other song on the LP not mentioned above is perfect too.
3. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles (1967)
As fun as it is experimental. As colorful as it is masterful. The Beatles record includes Ringo’s classic, “With a Little Help from My Friends” and continues with “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” That alone is a dynamic one-two bunch. But the album also includes hits like “Fixing a Hole,” She’s Leaving Home” and “When I’m Sixty-Four.” And that’s just mentioning a few songs on this perfect LP.
4. Nevermind, Nirvana (1991)
Moving ahead from the albums mentioned above a few decades, there’s a reason Nirvana was considered the greatest rock band of its generation and the best since the likes of the Liverpool-born group, the Beatles. And that reason is summed up with the band’s 1991 LP, Nevermind. The album opens with the icon of iconic grunge songs, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” That, like the rest of the tracks, show off lead singer Kurt Cobain’s gravely-beautiful voice and his street-poetic songwriting. This is another veritable greatest hits record with songs like “In Bloom,” “Come as You Are,” “Breed” and “Lithium” going back to back to back to back.
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