THE TOP 100 ROCK COMPACT DISCS

THE TOP 100 ROCK COMPACT DISCS

by Bill Shapiro

Source: "Rock & Roll Review: A Guide to Good Rock on CD", published in 1991

Over the past thirteen years, Bill Shapiro has earned a national following as host and creator of "Cyprus Avenue", a weekly program carried by National Public Radio stations across the country, that covers rock & roll music from its mid-fifties beginnings to the newest releases. In both his radio program and his writing, Shapiro’s knowledgeable criticism combines with a fan’s enthusiasm to provide a fascinating, entertaining, and informative guide to rock & roll.

"Rock & Roll Review: A Guide to Good Rock on CD" presents Shapiro’s in-depth evaluations, by both musical content and sound quality, of more than 1,000 compact discs. Arranged in alphabetical order by artist, each entry provides the disc’s playing time, record label, catalogue number, year of original release, and the author’s rating. The book also includes Shapiro’s thoughtful essays on the history of rock & roll, a comprehensive bibliography, biographical information on the artists, and his picks for the Top 100 Compact Discs every rock fan should own.

Thanks to Montse Viladot & Sergio Ferrer-Salat In Spain for supplying this list

The list

(alphabetically by artist)

The Band - Music from Big Pink (1968)
The Band - The Band (1969)

Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966)
The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969)
The Beatles - Rubber Soul (1965)
The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
The Beatles - The Beatles (The White Album) (1968)
Chuck Berry - The Chess Box (1955-1973) (1988)
Chuck Berry - The Great 28 (1955-1964)
James Brown - Live at the Apollo (1962)
James Brown - The CD of JB (Sex Machine and Other Soul Classics) (1956-1974)
Jackson Browne - The Pretender (1976)
Buffalo Springfield – Again (1967)

The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968)
Ray Charles - Anthology (1960-1968)
Ray Charles - Greatest Country & Western Hits (1962)
Eric Clapton - Crossroads (1963-1987)

The Clash - The Clash (1977)
Sam Cooke - The Man and His Music (1953-1965)
Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True (1977)
Elvis Costello - Spike (1989)
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Chronicle (20 Greatest Hits) (1968-1976)
Nick Drake - Bryter Layter (1970)
Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde (1966)

Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks (1974)
Bob Dylan - Bringing it All Back Home (1965)
Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisted (1965)
The Everly Brothers - Cadence Classics: Their 20 Greatest Hits (1957-1960)
Bryan Ferrry - These Foolish Things (1973)
Aretha Franklin - 30 Greatest Hits (1967-1974)
Marvin Gaye - What’s Going On/Let’s Get It On (1971)/(1973)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? (1967)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland (1968)
John Hiatt - Bring the Family (1987)
Buddy Holly - From the Original Master Tapes (1957-1959)
Elton John - To Be Continued (1965-1990)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin [Box Set] (1969-1979)
John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band (1972)
Jerry Lee Lewis - Ferriday Fireball (1957-1973)
Little Richard - 18 Greatest Hits (1955-1964)
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Live! (1975)
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Uprising (1980)
Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark (1974)
Van Morrison - Astral Weeks (1968)
Van Morrison - Moondance (1970)
Van Morrison - It’s Too Late to Stop Now (1974)
Van Morrison - Into the Music (1979)
Randy Newman - 12 Songs (1970)
Sinead O’connor - I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (1990)
Roy Orbison - For The Lonely: 18 Greates Hits (1956-1964)
Graham Parker & the Rumour - Howling Wind (1976)

Graham Parker & the Rumour - Squeezing Out Sparks (1979)
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Elvis Presley - Elvis (1956)
Elvis Presley - The Memphis Record (1969)
Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley (1956)
Elvis Presley - The Sun Sessions (1954-1956)
The Pretenders - The Pretenders (1980)
Prince - 1999 (1982)
Prince & The Revolution - Purple Rain (1984)
R.E.M. - Reckoning (1984)
The Rolling Stones - Aftermath (1966)
The Rolling Stones - Beggar’s Banquet (1968)
The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street (1972)
The Rolling Stones - The Singles (1963-71)
Otis Redding - The Otis Redding Story (1962-1967)
Lou Reed - New York (1989)
Diana Ross And The Supremes - 20 Greatest Hits (1963-1971)
The Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols (1977)
Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)
Paul Simon - Paul Simon (1972)
Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends (1968)
Sly And The Family Stone - Greatest Hits (1968-1970)
Sly And The Family Stone - There’s a Riot Going On (1971)
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (1975)
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA (1984)
Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska (1982)
Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love (1987)
Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story (1971)
Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1980)
Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues (1983)
James Taylor - JT (1977)
Richard Thompson - Hand of Kindness (1983)
Richard And Linda Thompson - Shoot Out the Lights (1982)
U2 - The Joshua Tree (1988)
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - The Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Collection (1962-1978)
Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967)
Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat (1986)
The Who - Who’s Next (1971)
Stevie Wonder – Innervisions (1973)
Stevie Wonder – Musiquarium (1982)
Neil Young - Decade (1966-1976)
Neil Young - Freedom (1989)
Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
Collections - Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974 Volume 6 (1966-1969)
Collections - The Best of Doo-Woop Ballads (1954-1961)
Collections - Great Songs Written by Holland-Dozier-Holland (mid/late sixties)
Collections - Rock & Roll The Early Days (early/mid-fifties)
Collections - The Soul of New Orleans (fifties/sixties)
Collections - Toga Rock (1962-1968)

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October 09, 2005