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The Songfactors' Choice: Groundbreakers


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The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds ushered in the revolutionary idea of a "concept album" a year and a half before the release of Sgt. Pepper's.

As listed in wikipedia:

Pet Sounds is a 1966 album recorded by American pop group The Beach Boys. The group's ninth studio album, it has been widely ranked as one of the most influential records ever released in western pop music and has been ranked at number #1 in several music magazines' lists of greatest albums of all time, including New Musical Express, The Times, Mojo Magazine, and Pure Pop's lists. It was number #2 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list. According to Acclaimedmusic.net, Pet Sounds is the most acclaimed album of all time by music journalists.

Side one

"Wouldn't It Be Nice" (Wilson, Asher, Mike Love) – 2:22

Features Brian Wilson and Mike Love on lead vocals

"You Still Believe in Me" – 2:30

Features Brian Wilson on lead vocals; originally titled "In My Childhood"

"That's Not Me" – 2:27

Features Mike Love [w/Brian Wilson] on lead vocals

"Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)" – 2:51

Features Brian Wilson on lead vocals

"I'm Waiting for the Day" (Wilson, Love) – 3:03

Features Brian Wilson on lead vocals

"Let's Go Away for Awhile" (Wilson) – 2:18

Instrumental, Originally titled "The Old Man and the Baby"

"Sloop John B" (Trad. arr. Wilson) – 2:56

Features Brian Wilson and Mike Love on lead vocals

Side two

"God Only Knows" – 2:49

Features Carl Wilson on lead vocals: Brian Wilson & Bruce Johnston on the tag.

"I Know There's an Answer" (Wilson, Terry Sachen, Love) – 3:08

Features Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Brian Wilson on lead vocals; Originally titled "Hang On to Your Ego"

"Here Today" – 2:52

Features Mike Love on lead vocals

"I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" – 3:11

Features Brian Wilson on lead vocals

"Pet Sounds" (Wilson) – 2:20

Instrumental; originally titled "Run James Run"

"Caroline, No" – 2:52

Features Brian Wilson on lead vocals; The sounds of an oncoming train and barking of his dogs Banana and Louie close the song

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I was thinking of nominating Who's Next, but I realised Tommy would be a better pick. And I realised a certain someone else would like to nominate it. :grin:

Instead, I am nominating another concept album:

jethrotullthickasabrickrq3.jpg

THICK AS A BRICK - JETHRO TULL

1. "Thick as a Brick" (part one) (Ian Anderson/Gerald Bostock) – 22:45

2. "Thick as a Brick" (part two) (Ian Anderson/Gerald Bostock) – 21:05

Leading up to 1972, progressive rock albums seemed to contain less and less songs by the year, and the songs seemed to get longer and longer. Then Jethro Tull decided to take this trend to the next stage and release an album that contained just one, 44 minute song.

From Wikipedia:

While the previous album, Aqualung, stretched the band's wings further from the blues of the first three albums, it was still basically mainstream rock. Band leader Ian Anderson was surprised by the critical reaction to the previous album Aqualung as a "concept album", a label he has firmly rejected to this day. In an interview on In the Studio with Redbeard (which spotlighted Thick as a Brick), Ian Anderson's response to the critics was "if the critics want a concept album we'll give them a concept album and we'll make it so bombastic and so over the top." With Thick as a Brick, the band created an album deliberately integrated around one concept: a poem by an intelligent English boy about the trials of growing up. Beyond this, the album was a send-up of all pretentious "concept albums". Anderson also stated in that interview that "the album was a spoof to the albums of Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer much like what the movie Airplane had been to Airport". The formula was successful, and the album reached number one on the charts in the United States.

Thick as a Brick Live at Madison Square Garden 1978 (a great live version that is about 10 minutes long).

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I was thinking of nominating Who's Next, but I realised Tommy would be a better pick. And I realised a certain someone else would like to nominate it. :grin:

Instead, I am nominating another concept album:

jethrotullthickasabrickrq3.jpg

THICK AS A BRICK - JETHRO TULL

1. "Thick as a Brick" (part one) (Ian Anderson/Gerald Bostock) – 22:45

2. "Thick as a Brick" (part two) (Ian Anderson/Gerald Bostock) – 21:05

Leading up to 1972, progressive rock albums seemed to contain less and less songs by the year, and the songs seemed to get longer and longer. Then Jethro Tull decided to take this trend to the next stage and release an album that contained just one, 44 minute song.

From Wikipedia:

While the previous album, Aqualung, stretched the band's wings further from the blues of the first three albums, it was still basically mainstream rock. Band leader Ian Anderson was surprised by the critical reaction to the previous album Aqualung as a "concept album", a label he has firmly rejected to this day. In an interview on In the Studio with Redbeard (which spotlighted Thick as a Brick), Ian Anderson's response to the critics was "if the critics want a concept album we'll give them a concept album and we'll make it so bombastic and so over the top." With Thick as a Brick, the band created an album deliberately integrated around one concept: a poem by an intelligent English boy about the trials of growing up. Beyond this, the album was a send-up of all pretentious "concept albums". Anderson also stated in that interview that "the album was a spoof to the albums of Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer much like what the movie Airplane had been to Airport". The formula was successful, and the album reached number one on the charts in the United States.

Thick as a Brick Live at Madison Square Garden 1978 (a great live version that is about 10 minutes long).

YES!!!

well I was gonna save that one for when we do concept albums (it really is the mother of all concept albums) but it has my vote now anyways.

what makes Thick As A Brick such a great concept album is that the concept extends beyond the music. While Gerald "Little Milton" Bostock didn't exist, and the lyrics were written by Ian Anderson, he also created a fictional small town's newspaper (which makes up the album's sleeve and liner notes) with stories about Bostock and his poem as well as many other things.

Thick As A Brick works better than many of the pretentious concept albums released at the time because it has more than a little humour thrown in, making it a lot easier to accept than an album by a band that seems to take itself too seriously (not that I have anything against Yes).

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The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

CDButterf.jpg

"Paul Butterfield Blues Band is a 1965 album by The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. It is a milestone in the history of blues rock as one of the first blues albums featuring a white singer, and anticipated the British blues rock phenomenon. In 2003, the album was ranked number 476 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time." - Wikipedia

"Even after his death, Paul Butterfield's music didn't receive the accolades that were so deserved. Outputting styles adopted from Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters among other blues greats, Butterfield became one of the first white singers to rekindle blues music through the course of the mid-'60s. His debut album, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, saw him teaming up with guitarists Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield, with Jerome Arnold on bass, Sam Lay on drums, and Mark Naftalin playing organ. The result was a wonderfully messy and boisterous display of American-styled blues, with intensity and pure passion derived from every bent note. In front of all these instruments is Butterfield's harmonica, beautifully dictating a mood and a genuine feel that is no longer existent, even in today's blues music. Each song captures the essence of Chicago blues in a different way, from the back-alley feel of "Born in Chicago" to the melting ease of Willie Dixon's "Mellow Down Easy" to the authentic devotion that emanates from Bishop and Butterfield's "Our Love Is Drifting." "Shake Your Money Maker," "Blues With a Feeling," and "I Got My Mojo Working" (with Lay on vocals) are all equally moving pieces performed with a raw adoration for blues music. Best of all, the music that pours from this album is unfiltered...blared, clamored, and let loose, like blues music is supposed to be released. A year later, 1966's East West carried on with the same type of brash blues sound partnered with a jazzier feel, giving greater to attention to Bishop's and Bloomfield's instrumental talents." - Allmusic.com

Tracks:

"Born in Chicago" (Nick Gravenites) – 2:55

"Shake Your Moneymaker" (Elmore James) – 2:27

"Blues With a Feeling" (Walter Jacobs) – 4:20

"Thank You Mr. Poobah" (Mike Bloomfield/Paul Butterfield/Mark Naftalin) – 4:05

"I Got My Mojo Working" (Muddy Waters) – 3:30

"Mellow Down Easy" (Willie Dixon) – 2:48

"Screamin'" (Bloomfield) – 4:30

"Our Love Is Drifting" (Bloomfield/Elvin Bishop) – 3:25

"Mystery Train" (Junior Parker/Sam Phillips) – 2:45

"Last Night" (Jacobs) – 4:15

"Look Over Yonders Wall" (James Clark) – 2:23

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I would like to nominate Thriller by Michael Jackson:

mojo-photo-thriller.jpg

Why is this album a groundbreaker? Well, the video for the first single "Billie Jean" was the first video by a black artist to be on heavy rotation on MTV. This opened the door for many black artists of the era, since their videos were finally being played to a mainstream audience.

Since its release, many artists have tried to duplicate his sound. Even now, artists like Justin Timberlake, Usher and Ne-Yo are releasing songs that could have been written and performed by Michael himself.

From Wikipedia:

Thriller ranked number 20 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2003, and was listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers at number three in their Definitive 200 Albums of All Time. Thriller was preserved by the Library of Congress to the National Recording Registry, as it was deemed "culturally significant".

Track listing:

All songs written by Michael Jackson, except where noted.

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" – 6:02

"Baby Be Mine" (Rod Temperton) – 4:20

"The Girl Is Mine" – 3:42

"Thriller" (Temperton) – 5:57

"Beat It" – 4:17

"Billie Jean" – 4:57

"Human Nature" (John Bettis, Steve Porcaro) – 4:05

"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" (James Ingram, Quincy Jones) – 3:58

"The Lady in My Life" (Temperton) – 4:12

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GogosBatB.jpg

Beauty and the Beat

The Go-Go's

[smallest]From their official Web site: [/smallest]

Sure, before the Go-Go’s debuted in May of ‘78, there were other all-female bands, but to a man (ahem, or in this case, woman) there was usually a seedy, cigar-chompin’ guy lurking just behind the curtain, pulling strings, writing songs and shaping the image as his gals danced on his string. But The Go-Go’s didn’t need no doctor in their house. No Phil Spector, Kim Fowley or Sonny Bono plotted their moves. It was their baby right from the start and they nursed the bouncing infant on a diet of non-stop nocturnal nourishment in dank clubs all across the city.

They melded the timeless songcraft of The Beatles, a defiant punk attitude, the blitzkrieg bombast of The Ramones, the deceptively dangerous allure of Blondie, the distinct personalities of The Monkees, 60s garage-band grit, good-girl wall-of-sound schmaltz, and a touch of 70s glam, all while creating a canon of work that deftly defined the spirited 80s sound. Even more astonishing is the fact that they merged all of those grand influences into streamlined MTV stardom -- without sounding overtly dated. Quite a feat, but then The Go-Go’s are quite a band.

[smallest] from Songfacts: [/smallest]

The Go-Go's started as a Punk band in the late '70s, but became Pop superstars with the release of their first album, Beauty And The Beat. Unlike most other female Pop groups, the Go-Go's wrote their own songs and were serious musicians. Despite their pure Pop sound, they had a confidence and attitude that gave them lots of credibility and set them apart from other bands on the fledgling MTV network.

[smallest] from me [/smallest]

Another album that pretty well defined my life as a senior in high school - and the few years just after. The Go-Go's blared on radio speakers from all walks. "Our Lips Are Sealed" was the first song I'd ever heard that nailed nasty gossip on its considerably ugly head. It was an anthem, and it was a delicious.

The idea of the Go-Go's was also terribly empowering, as nothing like this band had ever existed, and it was girls, girls, girls calling all the shots. Control, baby. :grin:

Edited by Guest
added cover art - thanks again, MindCrime!
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I would like to nominate Thriller by Michael Jackson:

mojo-photo-thriller.jpg

Why is this album a groundbreaker? Well, the video for the first single "Billie Jean" was the first video by a black artist to be on heavy rotation on MTV. This opened the door for many black artists of the era, since their videos were finally being played to a mainstream audience.

Since its release, many artists have tried to duplicate his sound. Even now, artists like Justin Timberlake, Usher and Ne-Yo are releasing songs that could have been written and performed by Michael himself.

Track listing:

All songs written by Michael Jackson, except where noted.

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" – 6:02

"Baby Be Mine" (Rod Temperton) – 4:20

"The Girl Is Mine" – 3:42

"Thriller" (Temperton) – 5:57

"Beat It" – 4:17

"Billie Jean" – 4:57

"Human Nature" (John Bettis, Steve Porcaro) – 4:05

"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" (James Ingram, Quincy Jones) – 3:58

"The Lady in My Life" (Temperton) – 4:12

Not to mention, it is also the #1 top-selling album of all-time.

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Raising Hell

Run D.M.C.

rh803.jpg

1] Peter Piper

2] It's Tricky

3] My Adidas

4] Walk This Way

5] Is It Live?

6] Perfection

7] Hit It Run

8] Raising Hell

9] You Be Illin’

10] Dumb Girl

11] Son of Byford

12] Proud to be Black

Run D.M.C. had two successful albums before it came out in 1986, but it was Raising Hell that pushed them into the superstardom. The trio of Run, D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay had always been hard enough for the streets but accessible enough to appeal to the suburbanites. However, this album and especially the collaboration with Aerosmith on “Walk This Way†merged the genres of rap and rock into one easy to swallow pill. I was in high school and working at a record store when this came out. Everyone I knew from every walk of life had this album. This was definitely a breakthrough album in the sense that it brought rap into the mainstream.

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Yes...nominate DYLAN!!!!! :bow:

Yes, Dylan maybe or Lightfoot. But how was Lightfoot ground breaking? I love him as you all know from my last nom in the last special. But how was he groundbreaking?

They are both favorites of mine and both basically folk artists. I will have a problem explaining the groundbreaking asspect of either tho.

I am after all a novice in this kinda thing.

I'm just so confused :stars:

Edited by Guest
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This list isn't complete without Elvis Presley so I will nominate him. Just have to figure and album out of his many. Also whether Sun label or RCA. Decisions, decisions.

If you're looking for a true "groundbreaker", you'd probably be best off with his self-titled debut album, featuring his famous cover of "Blue Suede Shoes".

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Rolling Stones

Bob Dylan

Simon & Garfunkel

Neil Young

Gordon Lightfoot

Bill Haley & his Comets

Janis Joplin

Bob Marley

The Cars

(Just a few that come to mind, that haven't been used yet)

any album by them? :shades:

just think of an album that went into a new direction - or maybe one that brought a new style to public knowledge, something that's never been there before :)

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