Essential Listening

What Makes An Album "Essential Listening"?

Like so many "lists," a compendium of essential listening for specific musical genres is highly subjective. However, it's also true that certain albums and specific recordings get mentioned over and over again over time by both professional critics and amateurs alike. Ask anyone to name ten of the most influential rock guitar albums of all time, and you can rest assured that Van Halen I will make the list, as will some album by Led Zeppelin. But what about other genres? Jazz? Blues? Country? And other albums? What makes a recording "essential" listening anyway?

Probably the most important criterion in this decision is an album's range of influence. Did it redefine an entire genre of music? Did it inspire droves of kids to emulate their guitar heroes? Did it catapult sales of a particular guitar model? Did it rule AM or FM radio for a long time? These are just some questions to consider. Consider the two following examples.

Hendrix - A Rock Icon


Sometimes, an influential recording does all of the above. Consider Jimi Hendrix's celebrated album, "Are You Experienced?"? Released in 1967, the record immediately captivated an entire generation of music lovers and helped usher in a new era of rock guitar. Gone were the über clean tones of the Beach Boys and the early Beatles. Hendrix's use of feedback, the whammy bar, the wah-wah, and new overdrive devices through his upside down Stratocaster into a "stack" of Marshall amplifiers redefined the role of the electric guitar forever. The role of the electric guitar would never be the same again.

On the Edge

It's not necessarily flashy or pyrotechnic guitar playing that determines an album's importance though. Although U2 had been successful for a few years, it was their fifth release, 1987's "The Joshua Tree," that catapulted them into the mainstream. Similarly, the album showed that it wasn't necessary for a guitarist to be flashy or technically advanced in order to make good music. For guitarists who were interested in texture more than tapping, the Edge's masterful use of guitar effects - particular echoes, delays, and reverbs - redefined the role of the electric guitar in an ensemble context.

Our list of essential guitar albums includes selections from blues, country, rock, and jazz. Although it's impossible to please everyone or to offer a fully exhaustive list, if you need some advice on influential guitar albums, keep reading. If you have any recommendations, please let us know!

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Lists of Essential Guitar Albums


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