Two crucial albums for appreciating a band

Fairport Convention - Liege and Lief & Full House (especially CD version with Bonny Bunch of Roses and Poor Will & The Jolly Hangman), These 2 covers arguably the 2 best line ups of the band)

Bing Crosby - Bing Sings Whilst Bergman Swings & Bing With A Beat - 2 amazing albums in an incredible career - and tracks from the latter were on Lennon's Jukebox.

 

Eagles- Desperado and Hotel California

 

Judas Priest:

Sad Wings of Destiny - How can any human possibly sing like Rob Halford does on this album? Incredible range. He probably hits a note or two on the album that us humans can't hear (only dogs can hear them.)

Painkiller - By this time, Judas Priest's NWOBHM style was considered old school by the younger, faster, and more aggressive metal bands out there. This album basically made a statement that The Priest were still the Metal Gods. This album showed those younger, faster and more aggressive bands that Judas Priest can be just as fast and aggressive as those younger bands and still be better at it. On this album "Old School" Judas Priest schooled those younger bands how it was done.

 

Frank Zappa:

Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Läther (or the individual albums it was split into)

 

The Monkees - Headquarters & Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.

 

Monkees - Pisces Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones
Monkees - Headquarters

 

Herman’s Hermit - There’s A Kind Of Hush All Over The World & Blaze, great songs on both these albums.

 

Rush


2112, Moving Pictures

 

Whitesnake - Ready an' Willing and self-titled (1987)
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run and Nebraska
Black Sabbath - self-titled and Heaven and Hell
U2 - The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby
The Flaming Lips - Clouds Taste Metallic and The Soft Bulletin
Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me and Where You Been
Tom Petty - Damn the Torpedos and Wildflowers

 

That cover of Donovan's "Museum" on Blaze is out of sight! Best thing HH ever recorded, IMHO.

 

The Bee Gees--1st, Odessa,

 

Hall & Oates--Abandon Luncheontte, War Babies

 

Chicago--CTA, Chicago II

 

Tin Machine & Tin Machine 2

 

The Necks - Aquatic and Aether

Popol Vuh - Hosianna Mantra and Brüder des Schattens, Söhne des Lichts

Kraftwerk - Ralf & Florian and Trans-Europe Express

Sonic Youth - Sister and Sonic Nurse