Howdy. I am new around here, so I figured that this would be a lively topic. The point of this isnt to list the best 10 rock albums, but to choose albums that you think are very accessible and would be a good introduction to the genre for someone who isnt familar with it. I gotta spend a little time thinking about mine before I post it, but I am intrested to see what everyone else recommends.

Welcome!

There are a couple categories of Rock, care to get a little bit more specific?

Anyways here are some, I'll keep it random

Led Zeppelin - IV (Anything I-IV really)
The Beatles - Let It Be
Queen - The Game
Nirvana - Insecticide
Rolling Stones - Some Girls
The Ramones - s/t
Pantera - Cowboys From Hell
Grateful Dead - Blues For Allah
Pink Floyd - Meddle
The Strokes - Is This It?

Van Halen - Van Halen
Def Leppard - Hysteria
Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
Mötley Crüe - Doctor Feelgood
Judas Priest - Turbo
ZZ Top - Eliminator
Huey Lewis & the News - Sports
AC/DC - Let there be rock
White Lion - Pride
INXS - Kick

Oh yea you might wanna check Guns n' Roses' "Appetite for destruction" as well.

After much consideration I've comprised a list of what I'd call the absolute essentials of rock music. Now I'm no expert, really I'm just an avid fan, but if you don't own and regularly celebrate each and every one of these albums, you may want to reconsider your future as a connoisseur of rock.

Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music -The one glimmer of light in this man's lackluster career.
William Shatner - The Transformed Man -This man paved the way for crossover artists. Remember that the next time you pop in that Lindsey Lohan album.
Whitesnake - Snakebite
Corey Hart - First Offense
Howard Jones - One to One -This man was a godsend to music and mankind as a whole.
REO Speedwagon - Lost in a Dream
Meat Loaf - Midnight at the Lost and Found
Peter Criss - Out of Control -KISS as a whole was about the greatest thing to happen to popular music. Peter Criss was really the driving force behind that band and demonstrates here just what he is capable of under his own steam.
Lawrence Welk - Welkadelic -A Radiomute favorite. How could I deny it the recognition it deserves?

man howard jones was awesome when i was like 10 and i liked bon jovi when i was in grade 8 :P

i'll be a little more serious though.

top 10 discs for someone who doesn't know rock and who wants a smooth transition...

jimi hendrix - are you experienced
jane's addiction - nothing's shocking
queens of the stone age - songs for the deaf
black sabbath - volume 4 (just skip changes)
nirvana - nevermind
soundgarden - superunknown
led zeppelin - iv
the beatles - abbey road
guns n roses - appetite for destruction
faith no more - angel dust

Without knowing the person's tastes already, I would just drop the history lesson on him or her.


Elvis - s/t
Beatles - Revolver *
Hendrix - Electric Ladyland *
Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
Stones - Exile on Main St. *
Zeppelin - IV
Stooges - Fun House
Yes - Close to the Edge
James Brown - The Payback
Clash - London Calling


Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Love - Forever Changes
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
Joy Division - Closer
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Nirvana - Nevermind
Death - The Sound of Perseverance
Radiohead - Ok Computer




* First three records I bought with my own money back in 1972, BABY!

Now... I can see that going down well as an example of metal.

Man I can't believe Bon Jovi's not on my list! But I'd recommend their New Jersey album instead.

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Nirvana - Nevermind
Led Zepplin - IV
Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
Bad Religion - No Control
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Iggy and The Stooges - Raw Power
Midnight Oil - 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1