Favorite Concept Album…
M U S I C M O N D A Y
Concept Albums
I’m a child of the 60’s and 70’s. I was exposed to a lot of great music at an early age. My love of music has never faltered. My taste is pretty eclectic, trust me, I’m no music snob. (I just know good music when I hear it! haha!) Anyway, I thought it might be interesting to remember the old “concept albums” of the past. I didn’t want to go searching for them on the internet because what fun is that? I just thought I’d see how many I could remember and list the ones that I loved.
Feel free to add your favorites. If you don’t like concept albums or have no clue what I’m talking about, leave a comment to that effect. Either way, I’d like to hear from you.
- The Who – Tommy
- The Kinks – School Boys in Disgrace and Soap Opera (The Kinks were all about the concept album)
- Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall
- Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
- Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel – (the melted face album – the one with “No Self Control”)
- Johnny Cash – Folsom Prison
- Moody Blues – Days of Future Passed
- Jethro Tull – Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play (Maybe Aqualung?)
- Queen – A Night at the Opera
- The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
- David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
- Green Day – American Idiot
- Cat Stevens – Tea for the Tillerman (I feel like the songs have a theme to them so I’m keeping this on the list.)
I like concept albums. It seems like they are a thing of the past though. Although, you are right to bring up Green Day. I think they did another one following American Idiot, but it’s almost the same theme. I can’t think of any modern day concept albums though. Hmmm…
Good post!
Thanks! I think you’re right. I couldn’t think of any recent ones…
It seems like concept albums are a little bit too groovy for today’s music scene. Everyone now releases singles and I don’t think people take themselves quite as seriously?
All good groups but i have never heard of Jethro Tull and Green Day.
Jethro Tull is a British rock group that started in the late 60’s. Harry, you might know them if you heard them because they have a very unique sound. I like them quite a bit.
Green Day is from my children’s generation and they’re American so that explains that.
Thanks for stopping by!
Have a great day!
Hi,
A very good list for concept albums.
I know most of them, but all that are on the list, very hard to actually pick a favourite from the list, I like most of them. 😀
Thanks, Magsx2.
I don’t think Concept albums are very common anymore?
It would be hard for me to pick a favorite, as well. Each one has a different mood.
Muskrat Susie, Muskrat Sam, do their jitterbug in Muskrat Land as they twitter…
Capt’n and Tenille.
P.S. Craig is never to know that I enjoyed the Bee Gee’s version of “Sergeant Pepper” when it hit the big screen in the late 70s.
Haha! The Bee Gee’s version! Such a disgrace!
Please read the post from Sunday. I feel like you’ll appreciate it.
There’s some really awful band, Coheed and Cambria, where all of their albums are concept ones. One of the guys looks like the fat guy from Lost. Yes, I know his name was Hurley. Saying the fat guy from Lost is just more fun. Like the fat kid from Two and a Half Men, Angus T. Young.
Hey, the fat guy from Lost was the first character that made me realize the island was magical – like how come he maintained his weight for so long? I think the show’s writers started sweating when they realized he wasn’t losing the required weight specified in his contract. They quickly had to change the whole story line – Hurley had to hurry up and find food or else everyone would know it was a badly written show. ha!
I’ve never heard of Coheed and Cambria. Maybe for good reason?
I only know them because some girl with an ovarian cyst I knew was obsessed with them. She sends me spam emails at work everyday. She hasn’t earned the right to go by her Christian name.
I like how she’ll forever be the girl obsessed with Coheed and Cambria, who also has an ovarian cyst. Haha!
Everyone of these is a classic. I think I have each of them, except the Green Day album. If i could think of one that is missing, it would be the Beach Boys album Pet Sounds.
I like the Beach Boys in small doses, but I never really got into Pet Sounds. I think I read somewhere that Pet Sounds really influenced the Beatles? Interesting huh? Also, Bad Finger. Who knew?
Yeah, I have most of these albums, as well. They’re classic, like you said.
Green Day’s “American Idiot” is pretty amazing. Very catchy, high energy songs.
Well I was wondering what a concept album was. And then when you start listing them, I thought oh! oh! I know one . . TEA for the Tillerman! Tea For the Tillerman! I’ll leave a comment about . . . and there it was the very last one. DARN! Ha!
If you know Tea for theTillerman, I’m thinking you love Cat Stevens, too. He’s one of my absolute favorites. I think around the same time I was listening to Carol King’s Tapestry and Carly Simon. I tend to cluster my music together. I love all that 70’s music.
Your right. I’ve always loved Cat Stevens. He’s one of my very favorites and I remember that “cluster” too. Around that time also was Paul McCartney’s Baby I’m Amazed too! Elton John was nice and mellow. Loved James Taylor too. So many good ones! Oh and I also LOVED the Moody Blues too though my son got me one of theirCD a couple years ago and sorry to say I didn’t think they held up very well.
YES! Elton John, James Taylor and McCartney’s, Baby I’m Amazed! Isn’t it funny how it takes you right back? I get so nostalgic. My kids make fun of me because I listen to the same stuff all the time – I think they secretly like it as much as I do, though.
Yeah, I agree, the Moody Blues didn’t exactly hold up – at the time they were so different. I enjoyed that one album.
I don’t really know what a concept album is and I haven’t ever listened to any of those albums.
Hope that helps, like.
Michael! You’re funny! One day Prodigy will put out a concept album and then you’ll know. Then again, maybe they won’t. Ha!
I thought it was Maybe I’m Amazed. Either way, great work. I stick with Tapestry, Thick as a Brick, Paul *for LiC* Simon and Joan Baez did a double album of all Dylan songs. Does that count?
Yeah, it probably is, “Maybe” but I think he says “Baby” within the song so, who cares.
No, I don’t think that counts as a concept album? It needs to have a theme of some sort that each song keeps to. I feel like Bob Dylan must have had a concept album? I just can’t put my finger on it…? I’m pretty sure Woody Guthrie had one, too…?
How in the name of all that is holy is Styx – Paradise theater not on this list?!?
Oh, and throw in Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son while we’re at it.
Other than that, good list!
Oh, finally you decide to show up!
Okay, I wasn’t a Styx kind of gal. What was the theme of Paradise Theater?
Also, Iron Maiden — good. Now we’re covered. I knew you’d have something to add.
What was the theme? What was the theme?!? Paradise Theater was the theme.
Opening track is AD1928, the opening of Paradise Theater. Closing track is AD1958, the closing of Paradise Theater. The songs follow the careers of the performers – Nothing Ever Goes as Planned, Snowblind, Half Penny Two Penny (great tune!), and the epilogue is Street Side Sadie, which takes the major musical themes of the opening and closing tracks and has them played on a piano on the curb.
Seriously, it’s like the gold standard of concept albums!
(Ok, it’s possible I feel a bit strongly about this one)
Sorry it took so long to get here – glad I made it before you moved on!
Gotcha. I’ll have to check it out since it seems to have elevated your blood pressure. Ha! Music Monday is not the same without you. You’re my best customer! *wink*.
What about ‘Woodstock’?
What about Woodstock? I’m confused?
The Who – Tommy is brilliant
Malcolmpinto, I’m in complete agreement. When that album came out I practically wore a hole through the vinyl! ha! Thanks for commenting. Come back any time!