What are the most important albums of all time in terms of production, sound quality, technology, recording, etc?

[Entre_Perpetuo]

So nowadays it's not too hard to have your homemade recordings sound state of the art by even 1980's standards, but how did we get here? What were the albums that showed us the way forward? Which ones were the most important in the development of modern recording quality and technology?

 

And I guess which newer albums do you think point the way forward?

[invisible airwave]

Boston self titled

Kid A by Radiohead

Loveless by My Bloody Valentine

Bowie's Berlin trilogy

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

Dark Side of the Moon

[ReRushed]

Aja

[laughedatbytime]

Pet Sounds

[Blue J]

I’d say Aja is at the top of the list, for sure. Dark Side and Pet Sounds, excellent...I was thinking Quadrophenia, but I’m not sure how much that qualifies.

 

Good topic, though.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

I've noticed no one's said Sgt. Pepper's yet! Is it too obvious or are all of the other one's mentioned (all great mentions btw) just more important do you think?

[ReRushed]

I've noticed no one's said Sgt. Pepper's yet! Is it too obvious or are all of the other one's mentioned (all great mentions btw) just more important do you think?

I would pick Revolver over Sgt. Pepper's. Either way both are extremely important when it comes to what can be done in the recording studio.

 

Are You Experienced? is another production marvel. Hendrix was a studio master.

[custom55]

[invisible airwave]

I've noticed no one's said Sgt. Pepper's yet! Is it too obvious or are all of the other one's mentioned (all great mentions btw) just more important do you think?

I would pick Revolver over Sgt. Pepper's. Either way both are extremely important when it comes to what can be done in the recording studio.

 

Are You Experienced? is another production marvel. Hendrix was a studio master.

 

Same regarding Revolver.

 

 

Changed hip hop and their sound after their previous album with it's use of samples. Couldn't be made today without getting permission from big names to sample their music. Odelay by Beck is similar but with obscure samples and also produced by The Dust Brothers.

Edited February 7, 2021 by invisible airwave

[Entre_Perpetuo]

I suppose Phil Collins' Face Value and Peter Gabriel's Melt are also a huge deal.

[zepphead]

Beatles - Abbey Road

Bowie - Heroes

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

[goose]

Six albums noted for their production value, from Eon Music:

 

6. ACDC - Back in Black

 

"The sound quality of Back in Black was considered so good, several Nashville studios would use it to check room acoustics..."

 

5. Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms

 

"Brothers in Arms was one of the first albums to be recorded on a Sony 24-track digital tape machine, in 16-bit / 44.1kHz."

 

I remember the sound clarity as being uncanny.

 

4. Bowie - Ziggy Stardust

 

"Ziggy Stardust is full of sonic subtle nuances that can transport the listener to Mars, along with Ziggy’s Spiders."

 

3. Boston - Boston

 

"Scholz recorded pretty much the entire album by himself in his basement studio, with help from engineer Paul Grupp, while the rest of the band pretended to record in Los Angeles. Boston is basically the story of how one man recorded one of the most amazing-sounding albums of all time in his basement, while pulling the wool over the record label’s eyes."

 

 

2. Nirvana - In Utero

 

"Recorded in just six days, the band was able to utilize Albini’s production style that made use of room ambiance and microphone positioning, creating a much more abrasive and gutteral sound than their previous albums."

 

1. Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell

 

"While audiophiles debate over the sound qualities of the many different pressings and re-issues of the album, the production value was always in Steinman’s creative genius."

 

https://www.eonmusic.co.uk/features/the-top-six-best-produced-classic-rock-albums

[goose]

Porcupine Tree - In Abstentia

 

Yes - 90125

 

Alan Parsons Project - I Robot

 

Supertramp - Crime of the Century

 

Paul Simon - Graceland

[tangy]

Six albums noted for their production value, from Eon Music:

 

6. ACDC - Back in Black

 

"The sound quality of Back in Black was considered so good, several Nashville studios would use it to check room acoustics..."

 

5. Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms

 

"Brothers in Arms was one of the first albums to be recorded on a Sony 24-track digital tape machine, in 16-bit / 44.1kHz."

 

I remember the sound clarity as being uncanny.

 

4. Bowie - Ziggy Stardust

 

"Ziggy Stardust is full of sonic subtle nuances that can transport the listener to Mars, along with Ziggy’s Spiders."

 

3. Boston - Boston

 

"Scholz recorded pretty much the entire album by himself in his basement studio, with help from engineer Paul Grupp, while the rest of the band pretended to record in Los Angeles. Boston is basically the story of how one man recorded one of the most amazing-sounding albums of all time in his basement, while pulling the wool over the record label’s eyes."

 

 

2. Nirvana - In Utero

 

"Recorded in just six days, the band was able to utilize Albini’s production style that made use of room ambiance and microphone positioning, creating a much more abrasive and gutteral sound than their previous albums."

 

1. Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell

 

"While audiophiles debate over the sound qualities of the many different pressings and re-issues of the album, the production value was always in Steinman’s creative genius."

 

https://www.eonmusic.co.uk/features/the-top-six-best-produced-classic-rock-albums

 

Wow. Somebody needs to tell that writer that Todd Rundgren was the producer on bat out of hell. And many more great records.

 

 

[tangy]

Conventional wisdom says that AJA the best by steely dan. I say the royal scam is just as good.

 

The recording that pushed the envelope and failed is Katy lied. Still my fave Dan record.

[tangy]

^^^^^

 

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/steely-dan-katy-lied/

[tangy]

Phil Spector and the wall of sound is one of the biggest innovations in pop music.

[custom55]

I'd like to give Eddie Kramer a nod for his work with the production and engineering of so many incredible albums.

 

Amazing

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Kramer#Production_credits

[goose]

Phil Spector and the wall of sound is one of the biggest innovations in pop music.

I suppose we should give a nod here to the Wrecking Crew.

 

http://cromeyellow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wrecking_crew_3-600x272.jpg

[stoopid]

So nowadays it's not too hard to have your homemade recordings sound state of the art by even 1980's standards, but how did we get here? What were the albums that showed us the way forward? Which ones were the most important in the development of modern recording quality and technology?

 

And I guess which newer albums do you think point the way forward?

 

I'm not sure everyone who posted read your post. lol

 

Boston was the first true home recording, true basement to concert hall album/artist. Fleetwood Mac (Lindsey Buckingham) and others followed a few years later, but Boston that was the first professional recording made by an individual using their own equipment at 'home'. The album still holds up well to this day, IMO.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

So nowadays it's not too hard to have your homemade recordings sound state of the art by even 1980's standards, but how did we get here? What were the albums that showed us the way forward? Which ones were the most important in the development of modern recording quality and technology?

 

And I guess which newer albums do you think point the way forward?

 

I'm not sure everyone who posted read your post. lol

 

Boston was the first true home recording, true basement to concert hall album/artist. Fleetwood Mac (Lindsey Buckingham) and others followed a few years later, but Boston that was the first professional recording made by an individual using their own equipment at 'home'. The album still holds up well to this day, IMO.

 

Oh well I didn't actually mean just what were the most important albums in terms of homemade recordings, but yes Boston definitely pointed the way forward.

[ozzy85]

The first one to come to mind is Dark Side Of The Moon. It got back on the Top 100 album chart in the '80's due to electronics store owners buying a copy to demo the sound quality of their stereo equipment they were selling. I can understand the vote for Bat Out Of Hell. Steinman was quoted as saying he wanted to make an album that sounded like movies looked. Edited February 9, 2021 by ozzy85

[tangy]

Phil Spector and the wall of sound is one of the biggest innovations in pop music.

I suppose we should give a nod here to the Wrecking Crew.

 

http://cromeyellow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/wrecking_crew_3-600x272.jpg

 

Hal yeah!!

 

Their legacy is amazing. I am late to the game in terms of realizing what they brought to music. Great stuff

[Rick N. Backer]

Paul McCartney - McCartney

 

The invention of "lo-fi?"