I’m returning to my top 50 favorite rock bands. In this video series, I’m identifying the best three albums by each band. This blog is for band #28 – psychedelic rockers, The Doors.
Criteria for selecting the best three albums
First, the band must have released more than three records. Second, Greatest Hits albums are allowed. You will see one on this list. Third – no live albums. I will note that when it came to concerts and The Doors it was kind of hit or miss back in the day depending on which version of Jim Morrison showed up. They’ve released a lot of live music and some of it is not good because a drunk, stoned, and droning Jim Morrison was at the microphone.
The Doors Albums ranked by ChatGPT
Something new in this video. A few friends of mine made a great recommendation – ask artificial intelligence for help rank ordering these albums. So that’s what I did. I went to ChatGPT and typed in “rank order The Doors albums from best to worst. Here are the results.
- “The Doors” (1967): The band’s self-titled debut album is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock albums of all time. It features some of their most iconic songs, such as “Break on Through (To the Other Side),” “Light My Fire,” and “The End.”
- “Strange Days” (1967): The Doors’ second album continued their streak of excellence, with classic tracks like “People Are Strange,” “Love Me Two Times,” and “When the Music’s Over.”
- “L.A. Woman” (1971): This album marked a return to the band’s bluesy roots and features some of their grittiest and most memorable songs, such as the title track, “Riders on the Storm,” and “Love Her Madly.”
- “Morrison Hotel” (1970): The Doors’ fifth studio album showcases a harder-edged sound, with standout tracks including “Roadhouse Blues,” “Peace Frog,” and “Waiting for the Sun.”
- “Waiting for the Sun” (1968): Although not as consistently strong as their first two albums, “Waiting for the Sun” still features some excellent tracks, such as “Hello, I Love You,” “The Unknown Soldier,” and “Spanish Caravan.”
- “The Soft Parade” (1969): While the inclusion of orchestral arrangements and horns may have divided fans and critics at the time, “The Soft Parade” still contains some solid songs, including “Touch Me,” “Wild Child,” and “Shaman’s Blues.”
According to artificial intelligence, the first two albums along with LA Woman are the top three. Am I just going to repeat this list? Hell no! This is a great starting point but it’s not the best three.
The third-best album by this band is Strange Days
The third-best album by this LA-based band is Strange Days, their second record. It includes several hit songs Like “Love Me Two Times”, “People Are Strange”, as well as “When the Music’s Over”. Wonder if you’re a Doors fan or not. Listen to “When the Music’s Over” If you last until the End then you’re a fan.
The second-best album by The Doors
The second-best album by The Doors is Greatest Hits. There are several different versions out there. Why include the greatest hits record on this list? It’s so that you don’t have to listen to all of an album just to get to the good songs. This psychedelic rock band released a few albums that are not good. There’s a great song every now and then but the rest stinks. A prime example is Soft Parade, a horrible album. But, it includes Touch Me, one of their best songs. Get the greatest hits that way you get to their best music without having to listen to all the rest.
The best album by The Doors
The best album by The Doors is their self-titled debut record. It includes “Break On Through”, “Light My Fire”, and “The End”. Some people consider this to be one of the best debut albums of all time. I agree. It is an awesome album.
There you have it – the three best Doors albums. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
I am Doug Keating and this is my letter to my sons.