Ever since the 1950s, rock music has been a cornerstone for the music industry, whether it’s classic rock bands like The Rolling Stones or The Beatles, or hard rock bands like The Who and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. So, here’s the top 10 rock albums of all time:

#10: Let It Bleed — The Rolling Stones

Our list starts off with the classic 1969 Rolling Stones record, Let It Bleed. The Rolling Stones, led by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, are one of the most famous and iconic rock bands of all time. They’re known for their numerous hits and classic songs, and this album proves it. When the Rolling Stones came back from their European tour in 1967, they started recording their music and released their 7th studio album, “Beggars Banquet.” They had also started recording another album, which would turn into this album. They would go on an American tour and release the album once they got back. It would include tracks like “Gimme Shelter” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” which are 2 of their most well known tracks to date. It would have great success upon release, and still has success today, as it remains an all time rock classic.

#9: Hotel California — Eagles

Before 1975, The Eagles had been known for a country-infused sound in their music, as heard in songs like “Take It Easy.” However, in 1975, guitarist Bernie Leadon had left the band and was replaced by Joe Walsh. After this change, the Eagles had seemingly lost their country sound and had found a new sound: soft rock. 1 year later, they would start recording for their next album after releasing their first greatest hits album, which would become the highest selling album in the United States in the 1900s. They would later release the album in late 1976, and would be met with instant success. The album would follow a distinct California sound, as heard in songs like “New Kid in Town” and the iconic “Hotel California.” To sum it up, this album remains as a great, calm listen and a west-coast classic.

#8: Who’s Next — The Who

Although most of the albums on this list are mainly soft rock, this album consistently maintains a hard rock infused sound, containing heavy electric guitars and drums. The album also contains the use of electronic and computer elements, which was originally used in their scrapped project “Lifehouse,” but was used on this album instead. They used synthesizers and modified keyboard effects to have the unique and ahead of its time sound. It’s a consistent sound on the album, which is a huge reason why this album was so special. It contained classics like “Behind Blue Eyes” and “Baba O’Riley,” which has an electronic-infused sound in its iconic intro. Overall, this album remains fun to listen to and still sounds very modern while also having a slightly vintage sound.

#7: Pet Sounds — The Beach Boys

In the beginning of The Beach Boys’ career, they would focus on a more beach-infused sound, shown in songs like “California Girls” and “Surfin’ U.S.A.” However, towards the end of the 1960s, they started to drift away from this sound, which would be, in my opinion, one of the factors that played into this album being so memorable for listeners who were alive to hear the album. It had a very strong change of sound, going from a more happy sound to a more serious sound. They had planned for this to happen, too, as they wanted to make a “complete statement,” according to group member Brian Wilson. They had been inspired by The Beatles’ “Rubber Soul,” which had no “filler” tracks, according to Wilson. However, they would wind up creating an album that would become a classic. It contained tracks like “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows,” and would only be 35:57 long. Although it had mediocre commercial success on its release, it would later pick up on success and become their most iconic album.

#6: Are You Experienced — The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Just like Who’s Next, this album also contains a consistent hard rock sound. The album also contains psychedelic rock elements, which was a heavy theme throughout rock music in the late 1960s. Before this album, Hendrix made a living by playing for Curtis Knight and the Squires, which was a band he briefly played for. However, at a show in 1966, Linda Keith, who was dating Keith Richards (a guitarist for The Rolling Stones), was in attendance and was impressed by him. A few managers later, Hendrix was able to get a band and start working on the album. They would release the album the following year in 1967, and see immediate success. Songs like “Are You Experienced” and “Hey Joe” showcased his iconic voice and great guitar skills. This iconic album would still remain fresh sounding and would be the beginning of his short career.

#5: Purple Rain — Prince

Before Purple Rain was recorded, it was originally supposed to be a country track with Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks. However, she backed out of it because it was “too much for her.” But, Prince wanted to record a song before he left the studio, so he and his band decided to write a mellow track that wouldn’t be country, which would become “Purple Rain,” which is one of the classics on this album. Although you could argue that this is a pop album, it contains consistent rock elements and is widely thought to be a rock album. Some of the most iconic songs on this album include “When Doves Cry” and, as I said earlier, “Purple Rain.” To this day, this album still has a visible mark on the rock genre and on pop culture as a whole.

#4: Rumours — Fleetwood Mac

Before the album was created, Fleetwood Mac had a vision for this album. They wanted this album to be a pop album that would have similar success to their most recent self-titled album. However, not only would they have that same success, they would create one of the greatest and most successful rock albums of all time. The album was led by 4 singles, including the well-known songs “Go Your Own Way” and “Dreams.” The album would consist of only 11 tracks, and also contain “The Chain,” which is another one of their hits. Even though this album is almost 50 years old, it still remains at #31 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart and has been there for the past 624 weeks, proving its continuous success and popularity.

#3: Led Zeppelin IV — Led Zeppelin

Although many people call this album “Led Zeppelin IV,” this album is actually untitled. They didn’t give it a name because they wanted to prove that their albums weren’t selling well just because of their name. They would prove this theory, as it became their highest selling album. This album contains some of their most iconic songs of all time, like “Black Dog,” “Going to California,” and “Stairway to Heaven,” which can be considered the greatest song of all time. Overall, although it’s a relatively short album, with a length of only 42:31, it’s still a timeless classic.

#2: The Dark Side of the Moon — Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd has made multiple classics, so it was hard to choose just one. You could say “Wish You Were Here” or “The Wall” is better, but Dark Side of the Moon is their best in my opinion. The album was about life and Syd Barrett, who had to leave the band due to a schizophrenia diagnosis. The album blends multiple experimental elements, like using sound effects and synthesized recording techniques. The album contains songs like “Money” and “Time.” This album still remains as one of the most iconic albums of all time because of its experimental features and its highly recognizable cover.

#1: Abbey Road — The Beatles

When you think of the greatest bands of all time, the first name that probably comes to mind are The Beatles. They’ve had multiple legendary albums, like “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Revolver,” but nothing tops Abbey Road. From start to finish, this album has multiple classics, like “Here Comes The Sun” and “Come Together.” Interesting, though, it would be the last album they worked on together, even though it wasn’t their last album released. They had worked on Let It Be before this album, but those recording sessions went poorly. They never thought they would record another album together again, but they ended up making this classic to end off The Beatles.

Next week’s article be will album reviews on different albums, so make sure to check the website for that one!