I am counting down the best album from my top fifty favorite rock bands. In case you missed the first few videos in this series, here are parts 1, part 2, part 3, or part 4. I am finishing off the list with part 5. I count down from #10 to #1. As always your feedback and thoughts are welcome.
The criteria I used for creating this list
Here are the three criteria I used to create it:
- I must own the album on vinyl.
- The album cannot be a greatest hits compilation
- No live-in-concert albums are allowed.
The best album by the Ramones is Rocket to Russia
Let’s start the list with the best album by The Ramones. It is Rocket to Russia. This Ramones’ record has better songs than their historic debut album. Besides, with all the hell Putin is putting us through right now, a Rocket to Russia sounds like a good idea.
Coming in at #10 is Revolver by the Beatles
Also at #10 is The Beatles with Revolver. My wife still has not forgiven me for placing the Beatles at #10 on this list. This is a hard choice to make for obvious reasons. The Beatles stopped playing live music and became a studio band. Revolver is their first album after this pivot. It is full of interesting songs and was the first sign of greatness to come.
The best album by INXS is Kick
At #9 is my favorite Australian band, INXS. They released multiple killer albums back in the 1980s and 90s. My favorite is Kick. It includes several hit songs like “Devil Inside”, “New Sensation”, and “Need you Tonight”.
Tim is the best album by the Replacements
At #8 is the Replacements. They have several good albums in their catalog. My selection is Tim. This record confirmed that the band was something special and was going somewhere in the future.
At #7 – Delta by Mumford and Sons
Next up is Mumford and Sons. Hard choice because I like all of their albums. My favorite is their latest release, Delta. It was not as popular as some of their previous records, but it contains a pile of great songs including the title track.
The best record by Switchfoot is The Beautiful Letdown
At #6, is Switchfoot. Another hard choice for me. My pick is The Beautiful Letdown. This album introduced the band to non-christian fans. It rocks hard and includes many great songs like “Meant to Live”.
#5 – The Clash with London Calling
Coming in at #5 is the only band that mattered, the Clash. Their first three albums are all excellent. The best one is London Calling. Making a double album is a huge risk for any band. Most cannot pull it off. The Clash does it with style. London Calling is end-to-end great music beginning with the title track, and ending with “Train in Vain”.
Coming in at #4 – The Foo Fighters with Wasting Light
At #4 is the Foo Fighters My favorite Foos album is Wasting Light which was recorded in Dave’s garage. It has a vintage sound and contains tons of excellent music. I like all the songs except one, White Limo. A bit too much screaming on that track. The rest are killer tunes.
At #3 – SLF with Nobody’s Heroes
Let’s get obscure. At #3 is Stiff Little Fingers. The best SLF album is not their debut, but the second one, Nobody’s Heroes. It includes my two favorite SLF songs, “Gotta Getaway”, and “Tin Soldiers”. If you have never heard of this band, give this album a listen. If you don’t like it, move on. Their music does not get any better than this record.
The best album by the Rolling Stones is Sticky Fingers
At #2 is the Rolling Stones. There are a lot of choices here. My selection is Sticky Fingers. I love the diversity of music on this record. “Wild Horses” is practically a country song. The guitar riffs on this album rock. Songs like “Bitch” and “Can you hear me knocking” will definitely wake up the neighbors.
The best album by Led Zeppelin is Physical Graffiti
This choice is super hard because I love so many LZ albums. My favorite is Physical Graffiti. Once again, making a double album is a huge risk, especially for this band in its heyday. Led Zeppelin more than delivers the goods with several epic songs like “Kashmir”, “As I lay Dying”, and “The Wanton Song”. I will admit that I do not care for every song on this album. But, the hits more than carry the day for this double-barrel dose of hard rock classics.
Finishing off the list – Achtung Baby by U2
The best album by my favorite rock band of all time, U2, is Achtung Baby. It is perhaps a surprise choice. I was super proud of this band when they took a huge risk in the early 1990s. They went to Berlin after the wall went down and recorded this album. They created a much different sound than previous records and landed several hit songs like “One”, “Whose going to ride your wild horses”, and “Mysterious Ways”. This album surprised many critics of the band and relaunched them into the 1990s. It is an awesome album.
There you have it – the final part of this list. I hope you enjoyed it. If you recommend a band – let me know in the comments. All feedback is welcome. Feel free to post your own list.
I am Doug Keating and this is my letter to my sons.