Great albums (Part 2 15-11)

15. Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979)

The tradeoff to the digital world of music is songs must now stand on their own and the concept of the album is almost completely dead since with the touch of a button you can select a new song to play. It's kind of nice to be able to put on an album that's cohesive all the way.

While the individual songs aren't all stand alone great (although a few are) the album as a whole works wonderfully telling a story in a manner Pete Townshend would be proud of.

While Roger Waters was by all reports a jerk and this album did as much as anything else to drive the rest of the band away you can't deny its brilliance.

Key Tracks: Hey You, Comfortably Numb, The Trial

14. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited

The best album from the best singer/songwriter of all time. Proof that you don't have to be a studied musician to make good music. Broken down, Dylan has pretty awful vocals and his harmonica playing is haphazard at best, but somehow it all works.

From the first hit on the snare drum to open up this album is almost flawless. Mr. Zimmerman may have made numerous fans unhappy with his switch to electric, but his second full electric album does it right and even ends with an 11 minute acoustic song as a jab to the critics.

Key Tracks: Like A Rolling Stone, Desolation Row, Ballad Of A Thin Man

13. Led Zeppelin - II (1969)

While Led Zeppelin is seen as a cornerstone of classic rock and one of the first "heavy metal" bands to come about, their roots are firmly planted in the blues. Jimmy Page was a member of the Yardbirds after all.

While IV may get the most glory due to Stairway, I prefer the more raw bluesy songs off this album as my choice Zep cuts. Zeppelin might be so popular now they are ever so slightly overrated, but this album really shows everyone's strengths together and individually. This album has both one of the greatest guitar solos ever ("Heartbreaker") and drums ("Moby Dick")

Key Tracks: Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, What Is And What Should Never Be

12. The Who - Who's Next (1971)

When I was 24 years old, I was trying to go out with my friends as much as possible and hit on college girls. Pete Townshend composed a freaking rock opera. Advantage: Townshend

Really I could make a strong argument for the Who being the second greatest band ever. They get respect, but are still underrated. Pete Townshend is a genius who shows intellectual rock can still in fact rock.

From 1969-1973 The Who released Tommy, Who's Next and Quadrophenia, any of which could have appeared on this list, but I'm going with the one that contains two of my favorite songs ever.

The Who really had it all. In addition to Townshend, Daltry was the perfect vocalist and Entwhistle and Moon provided excellent rhythm. While maniacally pounded the drums does not a good drummer make (look at most modern metal bands), manaically pounding the drums while still somehow maintaining a discernable rhythm is brilliant.

Key Tracks: Won't Get Fooled Again, Baba O'Riley, Going Mobile

11. Green Day - Dookie (1994)

Remember when Green Day was good and not just another generic pop-punk band? Yeah I don't really either until I listen to this album and am reminded of it.

This album was also just innocent enough to not get banned on the school bus or during music class, at least until Longview came on. I hated censorship when I was 12 as much as I do now.

Since Weezer's blue album didn't make the list this seems like a good time to bring this up since Green Day and Weezer's careers have followed such similar trajectories.

I think anyone who grew up in the 90's intrinsically knows all the songs from that era. Last summer I was back at my college fraternity house helping work on re-tiling the kitchen floor. We had about 10-15 guys doing various tasks around the kitchen while listening to music. "Buddy Holly" was playing while everyone was doing their thing. Then like clockwork, everybody paused what they were doing belted "DE-DIL-DE-DIL-DE-DIL-DE-DIL-DE" then promptly went back to what they were doing. It was like an involuntary reaction.

Key Tracks: Basket Case, When I Come Around, Longview, Pulling Teeth