Most Overlooked Classic Rock Albums

Psychedelic Folk / Baroque Pop
1967

Probably tied as my favorite album on this whole list, I find that everything about it is great. The songwriting is top-notch, the instrumentation is beautiful, and the lyrics are well thought out. Despite all these factors, I barely hear it talked about.

I have nothing but praise for this album, so please, go and listen to it. I could not recommend it enough.

Why this wasn't a hit at the time, I don't know. Forever Changes is one of my all-time favorite albums. Every song has a special place in my heart. The orchestras and horn sections are beautiful, fantastic melodies, and it has an overall hypnotic feel. This album is 10 out of 10. One of the few albums that I can call perfect. Yes, I said it. PERFECT!

Jazz Fusion / Art Rock
1991

Tied with Forever Changes as my favorite album here, Talk Talk's Laughing Stock is an absolute masterpiece. The only reason I don't rank it higher is that it's somewhat more well-known than everything else here. Even so, this is one of the most beautiful pieces of music you'll ever listen to.

Everything is so serene, with abstract instrumentation culminating in stellar but never overblown climaxes that will leave you awestruck.

Acid Rock / Hard Rock
1970

My God, I'm so glad that I listened to this. Essentially, this whole thing is just one big song split into a couple of different sections. From the Black Sabbath-sounding guitar and bass work, the sometimes crazed, howling vocal delivery, to the amazing extended jam sections, this album never holds itself back, with its groovy, spacey atmosphere.

Punk Rock / Post-Hardcore
1990

Currently one of my favorite punk rock albums, Fugazi's Repeater is probably the album that best embodies the spirit of punk that I've heard so far. From the politically charged lyrics to the glorious songwriting, this album is easily a landmark release in punk rock. Also, Joe Lally is easily one of the most underrated bassists I've ever heard.

Experimental Rock / Psychedelic Rock
1967

Prepare for insanity. The first minute or so may seem a bit disorganized, but after that, it all comes together. Interspersed between each psyched-out song are jazzy, freeform freakouts that align with the previously mentioned psyched-out songs.

As a result, this album is always moving at a mile a minute. Without a single slow moment, you'll twist and turn through some insane passages before arriving at a spacey little finale. Quite easily an insanely fun record.

Noise Rock / Grunge
1991

Goat is heavy and distorted, with chainsaw-like guitars ripping through the riffs of each song, backed by crunched basslines and aggressive drumming. David Yow's desperate vocals yell over the instruments in a drunken mantra.

While somewhat abrasive, Goat by The Jesus Lizard is manageable if you're used to the more hardcore sides of punk rock or grunge. It offers some great headbangers, especially in its wilder moments.

Alternative Rock / Psychedelic Rock
1991

Some bluesy arrangements quickly delve into some laidback tunes. Coming in with a Rolling Stones-esque approach, the songs are injected with '60s era psychedelia, giving them an especially unique timbre. Combine that with some neat tape effects and samples that you wouldn't normally expect on an alt-rock record, and you've got an eternally awesome album.

Punk Rock / Noise Rock
1987

This album is brutal. Brutal and fun. The fuzzily mixed guitar and gritty bass tone really help to bring out the sheer aggression heard on this album. The album's first half has some truly memorable songs, each helped by Steve Albini's harsh vocal delivery. Definitely an album worth checking out.

Chamber Pop / Psychedelic Pop
1968

I have never heard something as uplifting and comfy as this record. We are given the drizzly feeling of late '60s psychedelia, but also the occasional appearance of some uncommon aftereffects, switches between acoustic and electric, and even some violin.

With gloriously infectious melodies, great diversity, and perfect chemistry between the band members, The Zombies easily stand toe to toe with their contemporaries based on their songwriting alone. Again, just another really solid record.

Electronic Rock / Punk Rock
1977

Another album on the weirder side, but not at first glance. Starting with some relaxing little punk rock pieces intertwined with a unique electronic blend, the album then becomes more unnerving as it progresses, finally capping everything off with a terrifying final stretch filled with screams and surrogate droning.

Suicide offers an oddly moving musical journey, with its minimalist approach and synth arrangements. It is definitely a landmark release in every genre it crosses over with.

It's overlooked compared to Dark Side Of The Moon, The Wall, and Wish You Were Here, but it gets more attention than other Pink Floyd albums, so I'm not sure if this is all that overlooked. Still, it's the best of Pink Floyd.

An overlooked classic punk album that predates The Sex Pistols.

A solid bluesy-rock album with awesome musicians. Jim McCarty is an underrated guitarist in my opinion. If you enjoy bands like Led Zeppelin, you will definitely enjoy this.

1989

This British rock outfit is most commonly described as punk rock, although they also dabble in many genres. This album is their crowning achievement and saw some limited commercial success in the UK. In the US, however, very few people even know of the band's existence.

It's funny how that could happen, especially with this album, because it's pretty tight. I was additionally surprised to find that the UK chart-toppers are not the songs I really dig off the record. Check out "Ballad of Bodmin Pill" and "Family," both readily available on YouTube.

Any King Crimson album that isn't their debut is overlooked.

Big Star was great! I can't believe they were so overlooked! This album is fantastic all the way through. Great hard-rocking songs in the first half, and beautiful America-esque acoustics in the second half. This is not an album to be missed.