I just played American Idiot and The Wall from start to finish. For me, both are absolute masterpieces. I wouldn’t be able to say which is better than the other.

What’s the best concept album for you?

  • DampSquid@feddit.uk
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    14 days ago

    Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime, or
    Dream Theater - Metropolis, Part 2: Scenes From a Memory

    • Mnem667@sh.itjust.works
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      14 days ago

      SFaM was my answer. I bought that on CD when it was still newish and it was on repeat for a long long time. And I’ve listened to it at least twice a year for the last 15 years. (sobs) I’m so old.

      If I die tomorrow I’d be alright Because I believe That after we’re gone The spirit carries on

  • Squorlple@lemmy.world
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    10 days ago

    I tried to limit my picks to one per artist and omitted the only loosely conceptual albums.

    Top 3:

    The Who - Quadrophenia

    Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

    (Not UK) Frank Zappa - Joe’s Garage

    Other great ones:

    Kinks - Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part 1

    Marillion - Clutching at Straws

    Moody Blues - Days of Future Past

    David Bowie - Diamond Dogs

    Pink Floyd - it’s impossible to choose just 1

    Edit: how could I have forgotten Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds?

    • Mr_Blott@feddit.uk
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      14 days ago

      Yeah but there’s a film of The Wall and all the tracks are different versions, plus Bob Geldof, plus animation by Gerald Scarfe

      A genuine work of art

  • YarHarSuperstar@lemmy.world
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    14 days ago

    Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, mAAd city

    I may not be his biggest fan anymore but this album was incredibly influential for me personally and in my opinion, for the whole genre.

  • Tyfud@lemmy.world
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    14 days ago

    Sturgill Simpson - Sound and Fury.

    Especially if you watch the anime that was created specifically for it on Netflix. Flat out amazing.

    • NielsBohron@lemmy.world
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      13 days ago

      Great suggestion, but I’d actually say The Ballad of Dood and Juanita and Sailor’s Guide to Earth are better concept albums from Sturgill Simpson. Although, OP seems to lean toward rock more than bluegrass/country, so Sound and Fury might be a better place to start.

  • nickwitha_k (he/him)@lemmy.sdf.org
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    14 days ago

    Foreign Skies by The Dreadnoughts

    It’s a concept album by a folk-punk/cider-punk band about WWI, released for the centennial. True to the punk roots, most of the songs deal with the dark, ugly, and gritty sides of war.

    There’s “Anna Maria”, a metal love/revenge ballad about a sailor losing his beloved brigantine to a U-boat.

    “Gavrilo” about the horrific consequences of the murder of Archduke Ferdinand.

    “Black Letters”, a rather haunting song inspired by the last correspondence that a young Canadian soldier wrote to his wife.

    “Back Home in Bristol” tells the story of a young man, afflicted by PTSD, facing court-martial for failing to obey orders due to his condition.

    “A Broken World” is a reading of English poet Amy Lowell’s “September, 1918”, which is both heart-wrenching and blossoming with hope.

    It’s not all bleak though. There’s also an original instrumental piece called “The Amiens Polka”. And am original shanty called “The Bay of Suvla”, which I feel is an upbeat prequel to The Pogues’ “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda”.

    To top it off, they saved songs that didn’t make the cut and released a B sides album as well.

    In my opinion, this album does such a great job of striking the emotions that it makes “The Wall” and any of the other “greats” seem vapid and mediocre.

    • Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk
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      13 days ago

      Foreign Skies by The Dreadnoughts

      Mmm. Just had a listen. I thought it was ok but not a challenger to the “greats”. Certainly not musically.

      But that’s ok, different people like different things.

      • nickwitha_k (he/him)@lemmy.sdf.org
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        13 days ago

        But that’s ok, different people like different things.

        <3 That’s very fair.

        I personally find most of the “greats” to be significantly overrated. They were incredible for their time as a departure from what preceded them but, over-produced and lacking in genuine-ness. They may have had higher levels of instrumental virtuosity but lack relatability, depth, and exploration of the human condition.

        To be fair, there’s a lot of people who don’t want any of that. Many people want escapism, heavy bass with questionable lyrics, or something weird and fun to trip balls to at a laser show. That’s fine. I don’t care for out of touch celebrity musicians; I want something “real” that evokes emotions across the spectrum and unafraid to dwelling in unpleasant places when the subject matter calls for it.

  • NielsBohron@lemmy.world
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    14 days ago

    If you’re into indie rock, I highly recommend Separation Sunday by The Hold Steady and The Monitor by Titus Andronicus.

    They’re both very high-brow (or pretentious, depending on who you ask), but for my money the musicianship and the lyrics just keep me coming back.

    Separation Sunday is all about growing up and doing sketchy stuff, finding/losing the faith you grew up with, and finding/losing friends to death, jail, and life.

    The Monitor uses the story of an ironclad from the American Civil War as a metaphor for the internal struggle of a 19yo trying to leave his blue-collar roots behind and go to an Ivy League school. If you’ve ever felt that internal divide between who you are and who you want to be, it’s a fantastic album. Shades of Bruce Springsteen with some modern punk.

    Speaking of Springsteen, Born to Run could be considered a concept album and it’s a classic, especially if you’ve ever felt the bone-deep need to get away from everything about your home town.

    There are a lot of other great suggestions in this thread (especially Good Kid, MAAD City), but they’re mostly the standard “best 50 concept albums of all time” that you see in lots of music journalism, so I wanted to make sure my favorites got seen, too.

  • Glytch@lemmy.world
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    13 days ago

    My favorite is Get Equipped by The Megas. It’s the soundtrack of Mega Man 2 turned into a rock opera.

  • Bwaz@lemmy.world
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    13 days ago

    The Kinks are The Village Green Preservation Society. (Also the first concept album if I remember correctly).