Five Best Concept Albums
Words and Picks by Morgan Waldorf
A concept album is not an easy task to pull off but those artists who do pull it off often make a huge impact with the beautifully crafted stories they tell through songs. Here are some of the five best concept albums to date in my eyes.
Green Day – American Idiot
American Idiot brought Green Day’s music to a new generation with this concept album about the troubled and chaotic political and social climate that that generation lives in. The album produced huge radio hits, iconic music videos and even a broadway musical.
Pink Floyd – The Wall
Probably the most famous concept album, Pink Floyd’s The Wall tells a story based on Roger Water’s life accompanied by an infamous film including the most famous scene of school children marching in unison, being molded into “bricks in the wall.” This album is an absolute staple in any classic rock fans collection.
Coheed and Cambria – Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness
While many bands don’t even take on the task of writing one concept album throughout their career Coheed and Cambria’s entire catalog are concept albums. Following the story of singer Claudio Sanchez’s comic book series about the title characters each album takes you through a futuristic science fiction journey. This album was the first Coheed and Cambria album that I was introduced to and one of their most well known including the epic track Welcome Home.
The Who – Tommy
Another classic rock album Tommy tells the tale of a deaf, dumb and blind kid who becomes a pinball wizard. It’s a beautiful record that takes you on an emotional and musical journey. Following advice from the film Almost Famous, I have burned a candle and listened to this record and it does provide the perfect atmosphere to dream and think about your life and the future.
David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust
Lastly we have the iconic glam rock album penned by none other than David Bowie himself about his alien alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The album rocks hard with a full sound, telling the story of Ziggy who is a messenger to the human race and has become known as one of Bowie’s greatest albums.
