Top 10 Best Concept Albums of All Time

In my opinion, this is Pink Floyd's greatest album and one of the greatest albums of all time. I love how vulnerable and honest it is. It's a look on how emotional damage make rockstars more and more disconnected from the people of their lives as well as themselves. This album was clearly Roger Waters' baby without a doubt.

I think that Pink Floyd hit their peak commercially with Dark Side Of The Moon, but critically and artistically with The Wall.

This album is practically a religion among my friends and I. There is literally nothing bad about it, sure the songs don't stand well on their own except for comfortably numb and to an extent another brick in the wall part 2 but that's not the point of a concept album. I can listen to this thing back to back to back without getting bored or wanting something else, it just never gets old.

Dark Side of the Moon might be a bit more revolutionary, but the wall is a better concept album. Roger Waters is still touring with it. And come on, it has Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2, Mother, Young Lust, Hey You, Comfortably Numb and Run Like Hell. All are some of Pink Floyd's greatest songs and don't get me started on Comfortably Numb and it's solos.

Anyone who thinks the Wall is better clearly mistaken. The Wall harbours similar themes of isolation and mental illness and but the Wall does it from a first person perspective. I think if you're going for the first person perspective appeal, there's plenty albums on here that do that better such as quadrophenia. Dark side of the moon in my opinion tells of life, not from one's perspective. And is easier to relate too as well as more applicable.

The Dark Side of the Moon IS a concept album, but it's not a rock opera that tells a story from a first person perspective like the Wall or Quadrophenia. The Wall, DSOTM, Animals and WYWH are all my favourite albums. I'd say that The Wall and Animals have the best concepts while DSOTM and WYWH have the best music and to an extent, the best lyrics. It's hard to choose!

I could never find a real concept for it no matter how many times I listened to it. I did notice that there is a different concept on each side.

Saw someone post something about finding it difficult seeing a concept in this album. What an idiot!

Tommy is one of the most infamous concept records of all times. It deals with the human condition and the pursuit of answers to questions we most likely won't find until we die.

One of the best albums of all time- and one of the most underrated. Far better than DSOTM and The Wall.

Greatest album ever

From 'I am the sea' to 'Love reign o'er me', this the best concept album of all time. Each induvisual member is great and so are all the songs. If you don't believe me listen to it! My favorite part is 'Sea and sand' to Doctor jimmy'.

This should be #1. Not only is it the best concept album ever made, but the best album ever made.

Why is this not in the top 5? This album show cases the most brilliant harmony between the instruments and the lyrics. It's perfectly synced and the storyline is beautiful. I love the way the story is told in pieces. It's fits perfectly well together. My top 5 are : dark side of the moon, animals, metropolis pt 2 scenes from a memory, the wall, and rise and fall of ziggy stardust.

Growing up in the 70's and 80's I was a huge fan of Floyd, The Who, Genesis, Marillion, Rush and Queensryche. This album was the perfect mesh of all of them. It may not get the votes others above it get as many are not familiar with it, but this is the greatest concept album PERIOD!

A lot of the albums here aren't true concept albums, which horrifies me to see them above this album which tells such a great story so clearly and with such musical virtuosity.

Truly masterful concept album with a good story and amazing music.

Here is my personal top three off the album:

1: Home
2: Finally Free
3: Beyond This life

While I could mention how great it's premise is, it's glorious songwriting, and widespread appeal, I'll just mention the many technological innovations it brought to the studio.

Greatest album ever PERIOD! Let alone a concept album. This album changed music forever!

Not first concept album, but first to not release single and sold in over 30 million copies!

Why is it so low on the charts anyway?

I dare say the sacrilegious statement that this is better than The Wall. Yep, that's right. Although The Wall was the first concept album I ever listened to and was my favourite album of all time for a long time, something about this is just... amazing. Unlike The Wall, I can say that I love every song on here, and thoroughly enjoy every second of each song without the need or want to skip some songs, which is more than I can say for The Wall. Although the story may be better in The Wall, Ziggy Stardust and David Bowie in general just give me shivers and goosebumps whenever I hear it. RIP BOWIE.

David Bowie's concept was exhilarating. It explored the alter ego that exists in all of us, but as humans, we feel the overwhelming pressure to subdue it. He explored his right in front of our eyes.

My favourite album of all time! An absolute classic that never gets old. Gives me goosebumps EVERY TIME!

This was officially the album that shot Bowie's career to superstardom

My most favourite album of all time! It's perfect! The storyline is amazing. It shows each members strength! Roger waters amazing artist lyrics perfectly matches Gilmours brilliant guitar work. I swear I get so many mugasms (music orgasm) while I'm listening to this album.

A scathing critique of the socio-economic conditions and capitalistic system of England in the 70s, with beautiful guitar work by Gilmour. Phenomenal album.

Arguably the greatest album in the history of music, and I'm not only referring to concept albums.

I have everything floyd still on vinyl and this is my fave floyd and concept album.

The idea of dropping jingles between songs to make it sound like a radio station is pure genius. 1967's BEST album.

I don't know what's with people. This is an hour and a half of music that you'll never forget, and every song is fantastic! The meaning of this album is so ambiguous and strange that it's really up to interpretation, but that makes it more interesting and doesn't detract from the experience. Any Genesis fan should listen to this album, and if you're not a Genesis fan, you have to listen to this anyway (although maybe a less intense introduction to the band makes sense first). Genesis is a band that has seemingly endless great music from multiple genres, so you really should check them out! If you're a progressive rock fan, check out their stuff fro 1970-1976, and if you like 80's music that's less intense and strange, check out their stuff from 1978-1997. However, if you like their more recent stuff, you should still check out the older stuff. It's unbelievable, and this album is perhaps the greatest example of that. I got interested in progressive rock because I first heard Genesis's ...more

The best roster of the best band ever. I would put this album against any of those on this list any day of the week and it would end up on top, maybe ex-equo with The Wall lyric wise but musically... no contest. Those five virtuosos ( Gabriel vocally) have never been equaled. Find me a more emotionally charged song than Carpet Crawlers anywhere in that list! This music will still be relevant in a hundred years.

This list is an absolute abomination. This album trumps all other on this list INCLUDING THE WALL. People just assume that the wall is the greatest concept album ever made but this album absolutely blows it away in terms of inventiveness, emotion, and the intrigue of the actual concept itself. The wall is basically Roger water just saying: Leave me alone. The lamb is autobiographical to Peter Gabriel's life and has real meaning.

Not just the greatest 'concept' album but the greatest 'progressive rock' album ever conceived by man. Five men actually, with supreme musical talent. The music is breath-taking in it's complexity and detail, and Peter Gabriel's lyrics are astonishing. If you don't like this album you just don't like music.

This should be much higher. I can't believe you worthless peasants put this at 15. Ah todays generation, no taste of all. please like if listeting to seventh son in 2016!

The sound, feel, and atmosphere of this album is just amazing. I recommend it to anyone who exists.

This album had people writing lyrics everywhere because of its influence. Not just its relatability, but also its lyrical content and depth. I've listened to this album since it came out and it's still so good I think it should have been awarded diamond. I'm speechless, to say the least.

This record was a monumentally important statement at a crucial time in history. It dealt with the sub-conscious of American counter culture and itsstruggle to identify itself among a malicious regime claiming to act in everyone's best interest.

This is an AMAZING album and I LOVE the story. Its about a boy (Jesus Of Suburbia) who leaves his home because as he grows up he realizes that everything is a lie in his house and in America, so he leaves and enjoys his first night of freedom, its awesome, and he is happy like it's a Holiday. After that, the hangover kicks in and he is suddenly depressed (Boulevard of Broken Dreams) knowing now that he needs to move into the big city (Are We the waiting) and creates a new identity (St.Jimmy) and starts doing drugs to keep away the pain of being home sick (give me novicaine) and then he meets and starts a relationship with a girl (she's a rebel) and says how amazing she is (Extraordinary girl).after seeing how much of a loser he is she leaves him (letterbomb) he is depressed, (wake me up when September ends). Now he kills his alter ego St.Jimmy and is going home (Homecoming/Death Of St.Jimmy). He is home and now the legacy ends.

Just a great, consistent albumn. Great band unison and bj armstrong vocals and guitar skill, fast exilirating drum patterns and a swift stylised basslines seem like jigsaw pieces of a greater puzzle that tackles rough beginings of an adolesent life in an underpoverished suburban america. And also catchy

This is one of my favorite records of all time. It deals with the full spectrum of human emotions as it takes you through the course of a day. This one you need to experience for yourself!

This album is really artistic with concept of nuclear war.. The album have spacy feels and all tracks are connected. Overall an underrated artwork

A amazing concept about nuclear war and apocalypyse, and very good lyrics, new sounds and music videos. Should be the first or secon, I believe this is the best album by Linkin Park. Pink Floy is also very good too

Love the story and the guitar heavy style of this album. My favorite album of all time! It should be much higher on this list. Too bad Tate has gone nuts! I had tickets to go see them last year and my dumb ass misplaced them. Maybe a fight would have broken out! Laugh out loud They clearly separated themselves from other heavy metal bands of the 80's with this. A lot of the 80's stuff was cheesy on lyrics, but not this album or band. Their stuff always had meaning behind it.

A true concept album from start (I remember now/Anarchy X) to Finnish (Eyes of a Stranger). More than just a collection of songs with a common theme. It tells a story from beginning to end. It spawned a sequel over 20 years later (that, unfortunately doesn't quite live up to the original, but still entertaining).

One of the best story albums recorded. OM also showed that Metal could be more than empty posturing.

It's a sin that this isn't higher on the list. This album still holds relevance today.

Though not strictly a "concept album", the song 2112 is simply amazing. A great storyline, coupled with great bass and guitar playing, and a positively epic drummer. The other half of the album is pretty good too.

Not completely a concept album, but the song itself has one of the best stories I've ever heard.

Tells a sci-fi story set in the year 2112. Came out a year before Star Wars did. A masterpiece.

FFS, 2112 is not a damn concept album! How many times must I say this before people catch on.

I see this as Anti-Sgt Pepper. While that album was full of optimistic and dreamy songs and lyrics, Frank Zappa goes for the complete opposite, outlining a lot of the issues with American Culture in the late 60s. While I cannot say I prefer this to Sgt Pepper, I will say that, as a concept album, this is a bit more coherent.

The title track is the obvious standout and I don't think anyone knows entirely what it means. The guitar solos and riffs are some of the best of all time. "New Kid In Town" is a great country ballad from Glenn Frey about trying to make it in the music business. "Life In the Fast Lane" is a great rocker from Don Henley (vocals) and Joe Walsh (the riff) about the rush of fame and everything that comes with it (money, sex, drugs, booze). "Wasted Time" is a great take on a Philadelphia piano ballad from Henley about broken hearts. "Victim of Love" is a great rocker from Henley that features some tasty licks from Don Felder. It continues the broken heart theme, but is much less sympathetic than "Wasted Time" (the creative ownership of this song would become a problem and would cause tensions that later led to the band's breakup in 1980). "Pretty Maids All In a Row" is a great piano ballad (with great slide guitar) from Joe Walsh about reuniting with an old friend and dealing with life. ...more

The greatest of all time. Why? The concept is The spiritual and mental deconstruction of a human being as his mechanical side appears and leads him into committing suicide.

In my opinion, one of the greatest albums ever and without a doubt greatest "storyline" ( or a concept) of any album ever. But its not for everybody, and certainly not fir the mainstream audience, so I'm not suprised this is number 34

In my opinion, A much better concept album than Year Zero. It follows the trajectory of a person losing control in a way that is so relevant it moved Cash to cover "Hurt"

26? Are you kidding me? Clockwork angels is one of the best concept albums I've heard, it follows a story of a character and his dreams in kick ass song like the caravan, headlong flight, seven cities of gold and the best final of an album that can exist: the garden

A full concept album and one of the best albums in Rush's discography filled with amazing work. This band of three masters of their craft ended their career with an album that has an incredible story and music.

This is the only true full concept album from the band and like most in this genre takes a few listens to absorb. If this is the last studio album the went out in epic fashion

This album is one of their best albums along with 2112 and Moving Pictures.It deserves to be in the top 10 for sure.