In this era of digital downloads, the concept of a record album is somewhat lost. Also referred to as an LP (long-playing), an album normally contained 10-12 songs, split into two sides. Generally, you needed to like at least 3 songs on an album to justify paying the extra money as opposed to simply buying the single. If you found a record with 5 or 6 good songs, it was a real treat. Since they were played on record players, having to switch between tracks was not at all convenient, so finding a record that had a side that could be played all the way through was a rare and beautiful thing. Ultimately, the most exceptional experience was the album that didn’t have 1 song you wanted to skip (i.e. two sides that could be played all the way through). The 10 records listed below fall in that category.
- Tapestry – Carole King: Includes classics, It’s Too Late, I Feel the Earth Move, So Far Away, You’ve Got a Friend, Will You Love Me Tomorrow?, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, and great album tracks like Smackwater Jack and Beautiful.
- Boston – Boston: Includes classics, More than a Feeling, Piece of Mind, Foreplay/Long Time, Rock & Roll Band, and great album cuts like Hitch a Ride and Smokin’. Their second album, Don’t Look Back was similarly complete.
- Dreamboat Annie – Heart: Includes classics, Magic Man, Crazy On You, Dreamboat Annie, and great album cuts like How Deep it Goes and Soul of the Sea.
- Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash: Includes classics, Suite Judy Blue Eyes, Wooden Ships, Marrakesh Express, Helplessly Hoping, Long Time Gone, and great album cuts like Guinevere, and Lady of the Island.
- Joshua Tree – U2: Includes classics, With or Without You, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Where the Streets Have No Name, Bullet the Blue Sky, and great album cuts like, Red Hill Mining Town and Running to Stand Still. Their albums, War and Under a Blood Red Sky were similarly complete.
- Hotel California – The Eagles: Includes the classics, Hotel California, New Kid in Town, Life in the Fast Lane and great album cuts like Victim of Love and Wasted Time.
- Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd: Includes classics, Money, Us and Them, Time, and great albums cuts like, Breathe and Brain Damage. Their albums, Wish You Were Here and The Wall were similarly complete.
- Led Zeppelin IV – Led Zeppelin: Includes classics, Rock and Roll, Black Dog, Stairway to Heaven, and great album cuts like, When the Levee Breaks and Going to California. Their albums, Led Zep I, II, III and Houses of the Holy were all similarly complete.
- Escape – Journey: Includes classics, Don’t Stop Believin’, Who’s Crying Now, Open Arms, Still They Ride, and great album cuts like, Stone in Love and Mother, Father, Their follow up album, Frontiers was similarly complete.
- Rumours – Fleetwood Mac: Includes classics, Don’t Stop, You Make Loving Fun, Go Your Own Way, Dreams, Gold Dust Woman, The Chain and great album cuts like Songbird and Second Hand News. Their eponymous album from 1975 was similarly complete.
Honorable Mentions: The Police (Synchronicity), Van Halen (Debut & 1984), Bruce Springsteen (Born to Run), The Beatles (Abbey Road, Sgt. Peppers), Metallica (Black Album), Steely Dan (Aja), Styx (Grand Illusion, Pieces of Eight), AC/DC (Back in Black), Rush (Moving Pictures), Peter Gabriel (So), Elton John (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road), Def Leppard (Pyromania, Hysteria)
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