Just went down a two day rabbit hole exploring double (and triple) albums and various rankings.....these are the top 35 I have come up with, complete with album covers. I present them chronologically. The first is often cited as one of the best with Dylan's Blond on Blonde.

Criteria:

• NOT LIVE (even partly)
• NOT A COMPILATION (although some songs could be previously released as singles)
• NOT A SOUNDTRACK
• A SINGLE BAND OR ARTIST

This eliminates some arguably great ones (U2 Rattle and Hum, some Cream and Pink Floyd albums, Michael Jacksons HIStory, etc.)



Chronological list with my top 7 bolded:

Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde 1966
Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention - Freak Out 1966
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland 1968
The Beatles - The Beatles (White Album) 1968
Chicago Transit Authority - Chicago Transit Authority 1969
The Who - Tommy 1969
Chicago - II 1970
Derek and the Dominoes - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs 1970
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass 1970
Miles Davis - *****es Brew 1970
The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street 1972
Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? 1972
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 1973
The Who - Quadrophenia 1973
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 1974
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti 1975
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life 1976
Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue 1977
Fleetwood Mac - Tusk 1979
Pink Floyd - The Wall 1979
The Clash - London Calling 1979
Bruce Springsteen - The River 1980
Prince - 1999 1982
Husker Du - Zen Arcade 1984
Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime 1984
Prince - Sign O' the Times 1987
The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me 1987
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation 1988
Guns n' Roses - Use Your Illusion I and II 1991
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness 1995
Wilco - Being There 1996
Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 1998
Green Day - American Idiot 2004
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium 2006
The Eagles - Long Road Out of Eden 2007


What's your fav?

There's the wall, then everything else.

The only bands/artists with multiple entries on my list are

The Who
Prince
Chicago

Brian Earl Spilner said:

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There's the wall, then everything else.

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I have it #2 behind LZ but I am biased to LZ in everything.

It was truly amazing though and the fact that it was a fully realized concept album (performed in film and concert) is incredible.

Neat topic. Double album is definitelty a unique proposition that you just don't see much anymore.

Technically, my vinyl of Turnpike's A Long Way From Your Heart is a double album as it was pressed for the faster spin rate and comes with 2 discs.

That being said, out of your list here are the ones that come to the top 6 for me. The ones in bold I play frequently.

The Beatles - The Beatles (White Album) 1968
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass 1970
Miles Davis - *****es Brew 1970
The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street 1972 - Just did a full listen to this this week ironically!
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti 1975 - Gets overshadowed by the rest of their catalog, but this album rocks.
Pink Floyd - The Wall 1979 - Occasional for me, tend to go towards some of their other stuff first.

Zombie Jon Snow said:

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Brian Earl Spilner said:

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There's the wall, then everything else.

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I have it #2 behind LZ but I am biased to LZ in everything.

It was truly amazing though and the fact that it was a fully realized concept album (performed in film and concert) is incredible.

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I'm a massive Zeppelin fan, but I just never thought of their music as that album-oriented, certainly not to the level of The Wall.

The story told throughout the album, with songs blending right into each other (and even looping right back into itself) is what sets that kind of album apart from a regular album.

Whereas with Zeppelin, you can basically put any of their albums on shuffle and it's still gonna work.

Stadium Arcadium is my #1.

Before the Frost...Until the Freeze by the Black Crowes

The White Album

superunknown said:

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Before the Frost...Until the Freeze by the Black Crowes

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that's a Live album technically. Recorded at a studio but in front of a live audience.

Brian Earl Spilner said:

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Zombie Jon Snow said:

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Brian Earl Spilner said:

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There's the wall, then everything else.

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I have it #2 behind LZ but I am biased to LZ in everything.

It was truly amazing though and the fact that it was a fully realized concept album (performed in film and concert) is incredible.

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I'm a massive Zeppelin fan, but I just never thought of their music as that album-oriented, certainly not to the level of The Wall.

The story told throughout the album, with songs blending right into each other (and even looping right back into itself) is what sets that kind of album apart from a regular album.

Whereas with Zeppelin, you can basically put any of their albums on shuffle and it's still gonna work.

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Ironically LZ is the band that really started album oriented rock and the radio that went with it. As they refused to do singles except some rare cases their studio forced.

They just didn't do concept albums. But I get what you are saying in a way. But for me I still prefer putting on LZ albums and playing them through. They considered them a complete product delivery as an album. While they might not be concept albums they do have a certain sound (to me) with where they were at musically at that stage. LZ I is very different than In Through the Out Door for the extreme example of their bookend studio albums.

I've seen interesting reads on how the White Album would be the greatest album of all time if it were a single album. But I guess you could make that argument about a few of these….not The Wall though. Only works as a concept album.

OutKast
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

Aust Ag said:

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I've seen interesting reads on how the White Album would be the greatest album of all time if it were a single album. But I guess you could make that argument about a few of these….not The Wall though. Only works as a concept album.

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Very true.

I have even gone so far as to create my own one LP White Album playlist. I take a few liberties with it but there is definitely some filler on that album that could be left off and what remains is arguably the best Beatles album ever. It gets dragged down by some of that imho.

Bruce Almighty said:

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Stadium Arcadium is my #1.

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Same. Incredible sounds. OutKast's double album is elite as well.

Yeah maybe I just misinterpreted your question. I guess you were just asking what's our favorite albums that just so happen to be double albums.

Physical Graffiti is definitely up there for me, although like you said it is overshadowed by their other albums.

It does contain Kashmir though.

Old school but Dan Fogelberg's "The Innocent Age" (1981) is a great double album.

Three top 10 singles along with a top 20.

He wrote all 17 songs.

Great guest artists including Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Russ Kunkel, Michael Brecker, Tom Scott, Joni Mitchell, Richie Furay, Emmylou Harris and Chris Hillman.

Reached No. 6 on the Billboard charts.

Excellent submission.

Does History count?

Queso1 said:

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Does History count?

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by MJ?

Thats a tough one because it includes 2 full length CDs the first being a retrospective and the second being all new material but the second CD is effectively a double album length by itself at 77 minutes and 16 songs that went 8x platinum. It has 2 top 5 songs and 2 other charted songs plus a couple that got remixes on the Blood on the Dance Floor release that later charted.

As a stand alone double album it's very worthy.

Songs in the Key of Life was pinnacle Stevie Wonder. I'd have to put it in my top 5.

Not even a huge fan but feel like Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness should be getting more love. One of the most iconic albums of the 90's

Also no mention of Biggie - Life After Death

Yeah but ackshuyally they're all technically recorded live, right?

I knew it probably didnt fit your specs but I still wanted to point it out. We seem to have a few Black Crowes fans here.

Exile is my favorite album. I remember playing it with the window open at McInnis on the first beautiful day of spring.

Apparently I missed the entire hip hop/rap genre (outside of Lauryn Hill) which is fair I've never really bought many albums in that genre.

Add on these:

The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death
Nas - Streets Disciple
Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
2 Pac - All Eyez on Me
Outkast - Speakerboxx/The Love Below
Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang Forever
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - He's the Rapper, I'm the DJ

Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile is definitely at or near the top of my list

American Idiot isn't a double album; it came on a single CD.

Hot take: The Wall is just okay but overrated. Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and Animals are all better records.

Physical Graffiti is by far a better album than the Wall.

Lathspell said:

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American Idiot isn't a double album; it came on a single CD.

Hot take: The Wall is just okay but overrated. Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and Animals are all better records.

Physical Graffiti is by far a better album than the Wall.

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Single CD is irrelevant. I said double album which implies LP. Many double albums were on a single CD due to runtime limits of vinyl.

And American Idiot was 57 minutes which is more than any single vinyl album can hold (at normal speeds).

The special edition (no added songs) vinyl version was two LPs.

https://store.greenday.com/products/american-idiot-20th-anniversary-one-step-edition?srsltid=AfmBOooqyt292Tdg0FBqt7D21UdP0q1qOIOnJYKUl6QKQJUIbI86EXhX

Both the regular vinyl and import versions are also 2 LPs

https://www.amazon.com/Green-Day-American-Idiot/dp/B0CRQPPQC7

https://www.amazon.com/American-Idiot-Vinyl-GREEN-DAY/dp/B00061Q83Q

I think maybe it's a generational thing but to me the number of LPs is irrelevant. It's more about the concept, idea., and intention.

I don't consider American Idiot a double album either, not just because it was released on one CD, but because I never once saw it marketed or mentioned as a double album and never heard the band refer to making a double album.

I buy vinyl and there are a lot of albums that are released on more than one LP that are in no way considered a double album. Heck these 4 are on the wall behind me and none have ever been considered double albums but all came as two LPs.

- Vampire Weekend "Only God Was Above Us"
- Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit "Weathervanes"
- Fontaines D.C. "Skinty Fia"
- Taylor Swift "Folklore"

Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Neal Morse Band - The Similitude of a Dream
The Wall

Jim01 said:

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I think maybe it's a generational thing but to me the number of LPs is irrelevant. It's more about the concept, idea., and intention.

I don't consider American Idiot a double album either, not just because it was released on one CD, but because I never once saw it marketed or mentioned as a double album and never heard the band refer to making a double album.

I buy vinyl and there are a lot of albums that are released on more than one LP that are in no way considered a double album. Heck these 4 are on the wall behind me and none have ever been considered double albums but all came as two LPs.

- Vampire Weekend "Only God Was Above Us"
- Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit "Weathervanes"
- Fontaines D.C. "Skinty Fia"
- Taylor Swift "Folklore"

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Yeah I guess I get that. I mean the line was blurred as everything moved to CD's and people started releasing longer form material in single CDs. 15 songs and 60 ish minutes was not uncommon.

I guess for American Idiot I'm basing it on owning the double LP.

Most of these in my list were released in the era when Vinyl was the common release format and therefore they were known as double LPs when they came out. That probably changed around 1995 or so. So anything after that may or may not be. i just based that one on what I knew from owning it.

So according to Wiki, even though SOAD's Mezmerize and Hypnotize were released separately, they are considered a double album.

In that case, that's likely my number one. Mezmerize in particular was probably my most listened to album of that year while in high school.

Zombie Jon Snow said:

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Aust Ag said:

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I've seen interesting reads on how the White Album would be the greatest album of all time if it were a single album. But I guess you could make that argument about a few of these….not The Wall though. Only works as a concept album.

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Very true.

I have even gone so far as to create my own one LP White Album playlist. I take a few liberties with it but there is definitely some filler on that album that could be left off and what remains is arguably the best Beatles album ever. It gets dragged down by some of that imho.

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Other than Revolution #9 which is pure garbage, and maybe Wild Honey Pie, not sure what I'd cut from the album. So many great songs that a lot of people have probably never heard.

TXAG 05 said:

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Zombie Jon Snow said:

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Aust Ag said:

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I've seen interesting reads on how the White Album would be the greatest album of all time if it were a single album. But I guess you could make that argument about a few of these….not The Wall though. Only works as a concept album.

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Very true.

I have even gone so far as to create my own one LP White Album playlist. I take a few liberties with it but there is definitely some filler on that album that could be left off and what remains is arguably the best Beatles album ever. It gets dragged down by some of that imho.

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Other than Revolution #9 which is pure garbage, and maybe Wild Honey Pie, not sure what I'd cut from the album. So many great songs that a lot of people have probably never heard.

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"Ehh. We become naked"