The 20th century was when classic rock was invented, when it evolved, and when it was perfected. As a result, there are a lot of great albums within the genre from this time period.
Five seems like a silly number, reading it now, for the amount that the genre evolved throughout the 20th century is truly inspired; this entire style of music branched out in so many exciting and innovative ways that it can’t be overlooked just how many albums contributed towards what remains the biggest genre in the world.
That being said, who doesn’t love a challenge? Out of all of these exceptional LPs, there are a few that stand out, be it because of the precedent they set within the genre, how well they captured the essence of a specific artist, their intrinsic guitar work, or the poetry laced throughout their lyrics, and while there are too many great albums to count when it comes to classic rock in the 20th century, these are five that really showcase just how wonderful this music truly is.
So, without further ado, prepare to disagree with me, as we dive into the top five classic rock albums from the 20th century.
‘Physical Graffiti’ – Led Zeppelin
When Jimmy Page first put together Led Zeppelin, borrowing from his time in The Yardbirds and his stint as a session musician, he intended to bring a range of different styles to the band that they could keep under the same umbrella. He succeeded with this, but it makes picking their best album incredibly difficult.
Each record brings with it a new way that Led Zeppelin proved themselves as innovators, with different genres, intensities and themes covered on every one. That being said, their hardest-hitting, most experimental, and true to rock record has to be their 1975 offering with Physical Graffiti. When an album contains songs like ‘Kashmir’, ‘Custard Pie’ and ‘In My Time of Dying’, you can’t consider it anything other than one of the best rock records ever made.
