In this era of digital music, iTunes, and downloading individual songs, the craft of making entire albums often gets overlooked.
Yet back in the day — and sometimes even today — there’s nothing quite like an artist who, in a burst of creativity and connection, records an entire album that’s a) full of good songs; and b) highlighted by a great song (or two).
So here are my five favorite of all time. You’ll note that the list omits some bona fide classics, such as Led Zeppelin IV, Boston, Sticky Fingers, and even Viva La Vida.
But it’s my list and I’m sticking to it.
5. Tom Petty, Into The Great Wide Open. A much-underrated follow up to Full Moon Fever (which featured Free Fallin’), this makes my list because there’s no filler. Every song is good, a couple are very good (For All The Wrong Reasons), and Learning To Fly is one of my all timers.
4. Don Henley, The End Of The Innocence. An album that starts with the title song and ends with “The Heart Of the Matter”(see Blog title) is strong to the core. There are a couple of late 80s period pieces like “Little Tin God” and “If Dirt Were Dollars” that harken back to the PTL scandal and the Gary Hart-Donna Rice debacle respectively.
3. The Call, Reconciled. The best album by the best artist nobody knows. “I Still Believe” and “Everywhere I Go” brought me back to faith.
2. U2, The Joshua Tree. How can you improve on an album that starts off with “Where The Streets Have No Name,” “With or Without You,” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”??
1. Hotel California, The Eagles. I guess I am holding on to 16 as long as I can. This was the signature album of my adolescence, and the title song plus “The Last Resort” lands this as my #1.
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I was 8 years old when Hotel California was released. Blessed with a sister 8½ years older, I grew up listening to some really good music. Growing up in the Nazarene church rock music was heavily frowned upon and when Hotel California made it’s way into our home you would have thought Satan himself was standing there.
I grew up somewhat scared of the Eagles and their Hotel California with never being able to check out.
In 1994 the Eagles done the unthinkable by patching things up and releasing the Hell Freezes over album. My wife and I were newly weds living far from home in the Lone Star state of Texas.
I will never forget the day I showed up for work to find out that my best friend there had not only taken his life but the lives of his soon to be x-wife, her mother and step father. While my wife and I were devistated, we headed to the funeral for the girl we had gotten so close to. The Last Resort played with the sunroof open, big puffy white clouds, sun shining on a somewhat cool Texas day.
Not long after attending his funeral we realized we were far from home and headed back towards Ohio still listening to The Last Resort.
The Eagles and Don Henley have put forth music that will always play in my home. My girls will grow up knowing to love, not running scared.
The Last Resort still plays in home and is my favorite tune probably of all time.
Nice list! I think Frey and Henley are sort of America’s McCartney and Lennon with Frey the McCartney romantic/popster and Henley the Lennon thoughtful anarchist. The Eagles’ Hole in the World penned after 9/11 is a good tune and Henley’s solo Taking Her Home is pretty emotional, too. As for great albums there were a bunch in the 80s which is the era I know best including Dire Straits Brothers in Arms, U2’s Joshua Tree, but Peter Gabriel’s So album is my favorite with Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Don’t Give Up, and In Your Eyes…man you can’t beat that! Blessings, Alex