25 Essential Albums by the Greatest Bands of All Time

As the tentpole of Band Week, we unveiled our definitive list of the 100 Best Bands of All Time, with over 70 artists contributing to the ranking. Many of those contributors’ testimonies referenced classic albums, from The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds to Nirvana’s Nevermind. Brandi Carlile hailed U2’s The Joshua Tree as a record that “changed everything about rock ‘n’ roll.” Kenny Loggins listed The Beatles “because of Sgt. Pepper’s [Lonely Hearts Club Band] and because of all the talent in that band.” Mastodon’s Troy Sanders said he started learning guitar by ear by playing to Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets. So, in addition to listing out the best bands ever, we’ve rounded up essential albums from each of our top 25 groups. These must-listen, classic records are largely available on the Consequence Store — which also includes vinyl and/or CD listings for nearly all 100 bands on our list — as well as Amazon. Scroll below to see and shop essential albums by the 25 Best Bands of All Time. 25. Ramones – Rocket to Russia Rocket to Russia isn’t just an influential ripper — it helped shape decades of punk rock to come. Led by the raucous, nostalgic “Sheena ...