Top 3 Back-to-Back-to-Back Albums of All Time

*Editors Note: This post originally appeared on the Daily Top 3 in 2008, and one thing I'd definitely change would be to include Exile on Main Street, how I left that off is beyond me.

In the Beginning:
Music Obsession is first shaped during your adolescence. The albums discovered during that tumultuous time strike a chord which will ring throughout the rest of your life. The teenage years represent an event horizon in so many ways for a kid, and this especially holds true with their musical taste. This is when lines are drawn, and where you decide if you like listening to music, or if you HAVE to listen to music. The turn from casual to obsessive becomes apparent, and follows the individual for the rest of their cursed life.

Don’t be fooled though: the music obsessed freak puts in a lot of work to get the way they are. Countless hours of crate digging, alphabetizing, categorizing, and general upkeep of their collections, both analog and digital, are done to keep their catalog fresh, and their knowledge deep. Much like people assume professional athletes are just “naturally” good at what they do, people assume the music freak just has a knack for liking good music, and often missed in their assessment is the work and dedication that goes into their knowledge and passion.

Despite the teenage years being an ever rich compost for your musical love to grow, your taste can often range on the juvenile side. We’ve all had some sort of ska phase, or really loved a punk or metal band that shaped who we were for a piece of time - however, there’s nothing sadder than an aging punk rocker, and eventually tastes must change and evolve. The one constant in the process is the thrill of discovering something new, and the ever morphing debate of “Best of…” lists, that seem best done by music freaks. This concept was popularized in the movie adaptation of the Nick Hornsby book High Fidelity, and is an arena the music freak both adores and loathes.

The Category:
I know I’m taking the long way to get to my list, but I think that compliments this whole diatribe in a positive way. Making these lists, no matter what they entail, can often be a painstaking endeavor because of how personal the music is to the freak. You grow to love and know these albums, songs, and bands as if they were a best friend, and when there’s a limit to the list, there are feelings sure to be hurt, as it is indeed a labor of love.

So below I submit to you the three greatest back-to-back-back albums IMHO. This list was beyond hard for me - and for whatever reason, I couldn’t justify putting anything contemporary on it. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t escape the goddamn 60’s, fucken boomers win again. Part of me feels like there has to be the justification of time applied to my mad equation, and like all musical lists I’ve made, this one is likely to change within the month, and instantly upon posting I’ll think of a band omitted, and shake my head in disappointed disbelief.

Why Best Three Albums?
The reason I chose the best three back-to-back-back albums is because having three kick ass records in a row shows sustainability. There’s a shit ton of bands that have released a good album, and a lot of those went on to release a decent follow-up, but even that's rare. What I’m talking about here is three all-time great albums released in a row. Not OK albums, but GREAT albums. These three albums will represent the pinnacle of the bands career, and as we all know, things always look and sound better when you’re standing at the apex.

The List:
So for better or worse, here’s my list, be sure to let me know how safe it was, and what yours would be. But enough of my jabbering already, it’s time to flip the record.

1) The Beatles (1966 – 1968): Not only are each and everyone one of these albums an absolute classic, but they each pushed the boundaries of music at the time in an unyielding way. From the music, to production, down to the album art, these albums near perfection. The Beatles have always been, and will always be the best band ever to live in my opinion. Choosing these three albums was by far the easiest part of making this list.

a. Revolver – 1966: The Beatles used the creative momentum developed with Rubber Soul and built splendidly upon it. They, like every rock band on the scene, were pushed hard during this time because of the Beach Boys wonderful album, Pet Sounds. The Beatles really started pushing their artistic vision as a result. I say screw Elvis, Brian Wilson (and the Stones) were their worthy adversary. This album erased any boy band memories with sophisticated tracks such as “Eleanor Rigby” and “Tomorrow Never Knows”, and even the album art is hinting towards what would be their future psychedelic aspirations, with 1967 just around the corner. This is also the first album ever to double track vocals, which was revolutionary at the time. The experimentation with Indian music of all things pop-up (later copied by the Stones) was another first, as you began to finally see George Harrison step out of the shadows of John and Paul.

b. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – 1967: This is, and will forever be the most iconic album cover of all time. It’s a work of pop genius with no close rival. For this album The Beatles turned Abbey Road into a sonic playground making their muse themselves. The entire concept of the fictional Lonely Hearts Club Band was to replace them from actually having to tour. This is also where The Beatles started playing with their own mythology, such as having the ‘Paul?’ shaped bass on the cover, which was in reference to him being “dead”. Each song on this album is an instant classic, and “A Day in the Life” is most likely the best song to end an album….well…..ever. (Man I say things like that a lot with The Beatles). Also of note, this is the first album to actually have the lyrics printed on it, helping The Beatles break even further ground yet again.

c. The Beatles (The White Album) – 1968: The White Album lacks the cohesiveness of past albums, however, that’s what becomes its strength when listening to it, and ends up making it the best ever. I’ve listened to The White Album more than any other album and still can’t get enough of it. From “Rocky Raccoon” to “Yer Blues” to “Revolution 9” this album represents the best of all The Beatles. While it wasn’t truly recorded together, and it may represent what is the beginning of the end for them, it still captures the beauty and spirit that is The Beatles. “Martha My Dear” oozes with the vaudvilism of Paul, while “Long, Long, Long” epitomizes the mystic and hopefulness in George. Lennon’s “Happiness is a Warm Gun” may be his best Beatle song of all time, and even Ringo’s “Good Night” has the cheese and charm that only Starr could pull off to close the album. This being a double LP helps it serve as the “Grand Finale” of this three album run - as the plain white cover serves as a perfect compliment to the detail and mystery of Peppers.

2) Bob Dylan (1965 – 1966): I consider these two years to be the peak of all things done by Dylan. He’s had great songs and albums before and after this period; however, this is when he reached his most raw, angry, and beautiful point. He’s he best lyricist of all time, and his control over language is dominant in this trio.

a. Bringing It All Back Home – 1965: What’s the coolest thing about this album? That there’s both and acoustic and electric side, with the electric side being the first of his career. This is also the album which spawned the controversial “Newport Electric” controversy, which basically was Dylan taking advantage of his own identity, and not letting others pigeonhole him into a mold. Track One on both sides may be the best track one’s Dylan’s ever had with “Subterranean Homesick Blues” (Side 1) and “Mr. Tambourine Man” (Side 2), and I’d dare say STHB may be his best track ever. This album really started to fuse both folk and rock, and helped solidify Dylan’s demigod status.

b. Highway 61 Revisited – 1965: This is my favorite Dylan album, and may be the album that represented his greatest amount of change, as he was him fully backed by a rock band for the first time. 61 was also released in the same freaking year as ‘Bringing It All Back Home’ which is goddamn ridiculous, amazing, and unfair. “Like a Rolling Stone” and “Tombstone Blues” kick off this album with a fervor. What I like best about the album is the accusatory tone Dylan has throughout it. He’s preaching from the pulpit with passion here, and he doesn’t quit, nor care how long he needs to go on for (see “Desolation Row” – 11:21). Even Dylan admits it’s his best saying, “I’m not gonna be able to make a record better than that one… Highway 61 is just too good. There’s a lot of stuff on there that I would listen to.”

c. Blonde on Blonde – 1966: A full two years before The Beatles dropped The White Album, Dylan became the first rocker to release a double LP, and that LP was Blonde on Blonde. This is one of those albums that I plan on buying for my unborn child as soon as they’re old enough to begin appreciating music (along with The White Album). While I like Highway… better, there’s something about the tone of this album that resonates in a warm way. Dylan again hits the ground running with “Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35″ where his singing really makes for a memorable song, well….that and of course his lyrics. Side Two may indeed be the strongest of the four with three of my all-time favorite Dylan songs (“I Want You”, “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat”, and “Just Like a Woman”). This is also right before his fateful motorcycle accident, which ended an era for Dylan, and a pretty damn good one at that.

3) The Rolling Stones (1968 – 1971): While The Beatles may have been more technically sound in thier music, The Stones had an indefinable cool that The Beatles could never catch. These three albums capture The Stones at their most raw and brilliant.

a. Beggars Banquet – 1968: Beggars Banquet is one of the more underrated Stones albums in my book, as I never feel like it gets its just due. This is one of The Stones more rootsy and R&B influenced albums, as the rawness of it becomes endearing. The album starts off with the now familiar “Sympathy for the Devil”. Bill Wyman's bass is so naked and raw here, and Mick’s delivery shows why he’s one of the best rock ‘n’ roll front man ever. The build-up of this song with its piano, “woo woo’s”, and tribal percussion, make Keith’s awaited intro piercingly brilliant. Richards always had the perfect tone and attitude associated with his guitars, and Sympathy is a stark example of this. Every song is dripping with soul and sounds like it could be heard in either a back woods bar or in a large stadium. “Jig-Saw Puzzle” is a typical Stones song and again, it’s just wet with cool and is followed by “Street Fighting Man” - a song of epic proportions. The album then neatly transitions into a favorite of mine, “Prodigal Sun”, making for a strong trio of songs.

b. Let It Bleed – 1969: If there’s one formula that seems to be consistent with all of these albums it’s that Track 1 on Side 1 has to be kick ass, and Let it Bleed’s opener, “Gimme Shelter” thoroughly kicks your ass. Jagger's ominous lyrics are delivered over a sick mid-tempo riff, trapping you in the grips of Bleed right from the opening note. My favorite quality of The Stones is the respect they have for the roots of rock and blues., and covering a Robert Johnson song is a testament to that. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” is an all-time great of theirs, and is their equivalent to “A Day In the Life”. Such a great last track.

c. Sticky Fingers – 1971: The album cover and name to this classic are completely balls out, and done in a style crass and completely Stones. “Brown Sugar” continues the trend of amazing openers and then is followed by some of their prettiest songs ever, most notably the vastly covered, “Wild Horses”, such a gorgeous song. Directly after that is my favorite Keith Richards lick ever with “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”. I just learned how to play this (with blisters to prove it) and Keith helped me realize the power of Open G tuning - which he’s so famously mastered in numerous trademark songs of his. And just to show you how on fire the Stones were during this time period their next album was Exile on Main St. Talk about a run.

In Conclusion:
While the above three bands may appear to be über conservative, upon looking at the actual albums, and the songs contained in them, they’re hard to deny. These are household names for a reason, and if they’re not musical heroes of your own, they most likely are your favorite musician’s heroes. They helped shape what pop culture was in the 20th century from music, fashion, and all in-between. That all said, this obviously kicked my ass, and I honestly wasn’t planning on writing a novel, it just kinda happened this way, and if you’ve read this far, then you’re obviously a music freak like me. Shit. It’s time to flip that record again; happy digging.

Honorable Mention (in no order):

• Yo La Tengo: Painful – 1993, Electr-O-Pura – 1995, & I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One – 1997.

• The Smiths: The Smiths – 1984, Meat Is Murder – 1985, & The Queen Is Dead – 1986.

• Radiohead: The Bends – 1995, OK Computer – 1997, & Kid A – 2000.

• The Replacements: Tim – 1985, Pleased To Meet Me – 1987, & Don’t Tell A Soul – 1989

• Pavement: Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain – 1994, Wowee Zowee – 1995, & Brighten the Corners – 1997