Iconic Music Albums
Music is one of the purest forms of art where one expresses themselves today. There are so many music albums that are creating a lasting impression on people’s minds. Some of the most iconic music albums are the classic albums that changed the music industry forever. In this article, we will find out some of the best-selling albums ever that also include top rock and pop albums.
Top 10 greatest music albums of all time
- Michael Jackson—Thriller
- Pink Floyd—The Dark Side of the Moon
- The Rolling Stones—Exile on Main St
- The Beatles—Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
- Beyoncé—Lemonade
- Linkin Park—Hybrid Theory
- Eminem—The Marshall Mathers LP
- Bob Dylan—Highway 61 Revisited
- The Beach Boys—Pet Sounds
- Prince—Purple Rain
Michael Jackson—Thriller
Michael Jackson’s Thriller, released in 1982, is among the greatest music albums of all time. It was recorded in Westlake Recording Studio and had a budget of $750,000. The title track thriller had a spooky horror element and is said to be a game changer that is one of the most famous videos ever made. It spent around 37 weeks at Billboard’s number one and won 8 Grammy awards. It won awards like Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, etc. It was the first-ever album that had seven top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
Pink Floyd—The Dark Side of the Moon
The next music album on our list of the classic albums that changed the music industry ever is Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. This music album was released on 1 March 1973 and is one of the most iconic progressive rock sounds with groundbreaking production. It spent around 741 consecutive weeks on Billboard in 2000 and has over 45 million copies sold worldwide. It is still known to date to be one of the most successful top rock and pop albums of all time.
The Rolling Stones—Exile on Main St.
The next music album on a list of the greatest albums of all time is the Rolling Stones Exile on Main St. This album was released on May 12, 1972, and still today is known to be a great album. It has become a cult classic. And had been number one on the Billboard 200. It has sold over millions of copies worldwide. It was recorded in a recording studio in the South of France in a rented villa.
The Beatles—Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, released on May 26, 1967, is the next album on our list of the most iconic music albums of all time. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and has won four Grammy awards, including Album of the Year in 1968. It is one of the best-selling albums ever to be produced.
Beyoncé—Lemonade
The next album on our list of the greatest music albums of all time is Beyoncé’s Lemonade, which was released on April 23, 2016. This album was recorded in various studios and had used various live instruments to amplify the diversity of musical instruments; it won a Grammy award and is considered one of the masterpieces of all time.
Linkin Park—Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory is the next popular album on our list of the classic albums that changed the music industry. It was released on October 24, 2000, and is one of the most influential top rock and pop albums. It has won the best-selling debut album and has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. It has also inspired various video games, soundtracks, anime, VMA’s edit soundtracks, etc.
Eminem—The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP, released on May 23, 2000, is the next iconic album on our list of classic albums that changed the music industry. It won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2001 and had one of the fastest-selling rap albums, which sold around 1.76 million copies in a week.
Bob Dylan—Highway 61 Revisited
The next album on our list of greatest music albums of all time is Bob Dylan‘s Highway 61 Revisited, which was released on August 13, 1965, recorded in New York City, and was produced by Bob Johnston. This is known for its iconic and catchy lyrics. Bob Dylan was later awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his writing in 2016.
The Beach Boys—Pet Sounds
The next album on our list of the most iconic music albums is The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, which was released on May 16, 1966. It is known to be one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time, which has been known for unmatched lyrics.
Prince—Purple Rain
The final album on our list of the best-selling albums ever to be produced is also one of the top rock and pop albums of all time. This is Prince’s Purple Rain, which was released on June 25, 1984. It has won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance in 1985 and an Oscar for Best Original Song Score in 1985. It is still today considered one of the most iconic masterpieces.
FAQs
1. Which is the best-selling music album worldwide?
The best-selling music album of all time is Michael Jackson’s Thriller, released in 1982, which sold more than 70 million copies worldwide. It is one of the top best-selling albums ever.
2. Which is the highest-grossing album tour worldwide?
The highest-grossing album worldwide is Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour from 2018 to 2023, which earned around $900 million.
3. What are the factors that make an album “iconic”?
The factor that makes any music album iconic is the commercial success of the album, the ranking and rating of the album, reviews, awards, the influence it has over the audience, its musical impact, and its overall appeal.
4. Which are the most popular albums of the 2000s?
Some of the most iconic music albums of the 2000s are The Marshall Mathers LP released in 2000 by Eminem, Radiohead’s Kid A released in 2000, Kanye West’s College Dropout released in 2004, Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black released in 2006, and Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory released in 2000.
5. Which is the most streamed album of all time?
The most viewed albums of all time are The Weeknd’s Starboy in 2016 and Ed Sheeran’s Divide in 2017.
