I am stealing this idea from another blog. The idea, at least according to the title, is “Top 10 Albums To Introduce Your Kids To” – and looking at that list I thought it was lacking. Heck, all the albums were from the same decade, and the variety was negligible. Further down in the comments I noticed the person who wrote the post replied that it was a list of albums he was introducing his kids to that were from his musically formative years. Well, that wasn’t the title, and without a caveat, I present my list of 10 Albums To Introduce Your Kids To.
As I see it, this list is meant to introduce kids to music. It would be easy to go with “greatest hits” albums or compilations of popular music from previous decades, but I wanted to have actual albums that represented a fair presentation of “rock history” as well as showcasing different genres of music.
Each album is a jumping off point to explore more artists within the genre or time period. Some are prime examples of their style, others simply important for their musical offerings in a place in history. These are not the “best” or “most important” or “most influential” albums in rock history, but as the title suggests, the top 10 albums to introduce your children to.
Here they are in chronological order.
1. Buddy Holly – 20 Golden Greats
Alright, so I break my rule with the first album on the list, but when was the last time you actually saw a Buddy Holly album? This is rock and roll from the very beginning. Buddy Holly was taken from us far too soon and his influence can be felt to this day. While he didn’t originate rock and roll, he was, unquestionably, a pioneer.
From here it is easy to trace back to the roots of rock and roll. Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, etc. Going laterally it can be seen as a gateway to Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and other country music legends.
2. Aretha Franklin – I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You
This is soul music. The greatest female vocalist of all time. She simply can not be matched for power and emotion. And the backing band is tight. It may not be her best album, and it may not be the best soul album, but it is a landmark album that helped put her where she belongs in rock history. Here she has a few originals and covers Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. An absolute phenomenal album.
By way of Aretha Franklin one can journey to the artists she covers on this album, Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, then on to the Stax/Volt catalog, Ray Charles, James Brown, Parliment/Funkadelic, George Clinton, etc.
3. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band
This is the album that changed all the rules of rock and roll. No longer worried about what songs could be because they needed to be performed live, the band started using the studio as an instrument. Allowing themselves to incorporate other instrumentations and arrangements they blended other genres in to rock and roll only to change music forever.
The Beatles are the single most important band in rock history. Their early records are much closer to Buddy Holly (even covering one of his songs on an album) their middle stuff such a departure, then their latter material back to regular rock and roll, albeit more “mature” and with a statement. Their influence continues to this day.
4. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
One could argue Dark Side Of The Moon would be a better album, and I could accept that. I chose this one because it has many of the same elements but feels more like a cohesive album. The guitar work is amazing and the sound is very “big” though tempered after the excess of the band’s previous album.
From Pink Floyd one can be led to Yes and Rush, King Crimson, Genesis (before their 80s pop stuff) and so many more. There can also be a connection to The Doors and Frank Zappa’s work as well, even Styx.
5. Queen – A Night At The Opera
Rock as spectacle – and it doesn’t get any better than this. A massive variety of musical styles. This band is a master of quiet ballads, rock anthems, orchestration and synthesized songs. This album showcases the band and one of their high points. Listen to “The Prophet’s Song” through headphones.
Queen can lead to any number of other classic rock band, such as The Who or showmen such as David Bowie. From there it is easy to move on to many other bands and musicians such as The New York Dolls, Iggy Pop, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Blue Oyster Cult and others. Then there are more modern bands such as Muse which can lead to The Cure which can lead to The Smiths and Echo And The Bunnymen, etc.
6. The Ramones – The Ramones
Another game changer for music. The birth of punk rock. Everything about rock and roll stripped down to its bare essentials. You could argue for Rocket To Russia to be the album to be on this list, and I could agree, but I chose this album because it is just as accessible and stands as the starting point for an entire genre of music. Other than Buddy Holly, this is the most “stripped down” and “basic” rock album on the list.
Anything punk is derived from this band. Green Day, Nirvana, Bad Religion, The Offspring, The Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Replacements, The Donnas, Black Flag, Husker Du, eventually The Cure, Blur, Bauhaus, and so many others. Other than The Beatles, The Ramones are the most influential band in the history of rock music.
7. Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO
Musical deconstruction and reinvention. This band took rock convention and turned it on its ear. Where Queen used electronics to enhance their rock and roll, Devo incorporated it into rock and roll. It wasn’t the first band to do so, but it might be the best.
From here it is easy to get to Kraftwerk and even Nine Inch Nails. Brian Eno, Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson, The Eurythmics, Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, Erasure, and more all of which can lead to Duran Duran, The Cure, Dead Or Alive, and a whole slew of alternative rock bands.
8. Def Leppard – Pyromania
The album that helped explode hard rock and heavy metal onto the pop music charts. It isn’t the greatest or most influential but I chose it because it rocks hard and is highly accessible. These boys from Sheffield took their influences and churned out one of the most accessible hard rock albums of all time.
It is easy to side step from this band to Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, as well as step backwards to the influences of Led Zepplin and Black Sabbath. Then there’s Metallica, Anthrax and other hard rock and heavy metal bands that are reached from here.
9. Kate Bush – The Hounds Of Love
This is perhaps her most beautiful album. The instrumentation and vocal work are superb. With Kate Bush we get rock music as an art form. The same sort of spectacle that Queen offers in a way, but here it is taken in an opposite direction. Virtually every single female singer that came after the 80s owes her in some way.
It is easy to get from her to Sarah McLaughlin, Tori Amos, K.D. Lang, Bjork, and more. You can see her influences in bands such as Coldplay. Peter Gabriel can be seen as a sort of musical contemporary, though his voice doesn’t have the same beauty and range. You could reach back to Carol King and through her get to Neil Diamond, James Taylor, then on Elton John or Billy Joel.
10. The Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique
A very unique recording. All samples. The three-way vocals of MCA, AdRock and Mike D intertwined with the musical soundscapes produced by The Dust Brothers is a pinnacle of the rap/hip hop genre. The band’s first album was initially recorded as a hard rock/rap joke, and the albums afterward are serious musician plying their trade. This stands out as a group finding themselves as well as having such a unique sound.
Every single rap and hip hop artist can be reached from here. Go back to the group’s first album or up to their third and listen to how diverse one group can make a genre sound. Go back to The Sugarhill Gang for the genre’s origins, Run DMC for masters of wordplay, Queen Latifah, Sir Mix-A-Lot, L.L. Cool J., and of course Public Enemy.
Honorable mentions. Albums that I nearly included:
Bob Dylan – Nashville Skyline
Ray Charles – The Genius Hits The Road
Bonnie Raitt – Luck Of The Draw
Madonna – Ray Of Light
The Cure – The Head On The Door
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On?
Kraftwerk – Autobahn
Prince – Sign O The Times
AC/DC – Back In Black
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours