these records weren’t just popular they
were pioneering welcome to watchmojo.com
and today we’ll be counting down our
picks for the top ten important albums
in pop music history for this list we’ve
looked at all pop albums excluding
Greatest Hits compilations sorry Abba
and included those records without which
the genre could not have developed in
the way that it has these are the
watershed moments in pop music history
number 10 tapestry Carole King when you
are down and troubled an influential
voice within the music industry even
before this record was made after
tapestry Carole King’s legendary pop
credentials went entirely undisputed
good to know that you’ve got a friend
you’ve got a friend is possibly
tapestries most well-known track but as
the album title in furs tapestry is also
a bringing together of Kings past
achievements you make me feel like
you make me feel like a natural woman
was originally recorded by Aretha
Franklin will you love me tomorrow was
originally recorded by the Shirelles but
King originally wrote both and stylish
leery records them here will you still
love me too
number nine spice spice girls the rest
is now
from one show-stopping female performer
to five during the latter half of the
90s scary sporty baby posh and ginger
spice were all that anybody was talking
about and with this their debut album
they revolutionized what it meant to be
in a girl band the Spice Girls were a
well-knit group but they also had
individual personalities that show
a marketing dream they quickly lay down
some world-class pop records as well in
the 90s
these girls were all you wanted all you
really really wanted number eight
Saturday Night Fever the original movie
soundtrack the Bee Gees and various
artists
the only soundtrack album to make
today’s countdown in the late 1970s the
Saturday Night Fever record was
basically the Bible of the dancefloor
sigh day is dominated by the Bee Gees
and features four massive genre-defining
worldwide hits while sides BC and D
rattle through an equally fine
classically rethought rhythm
with tracks like stayin alive Night
Fever and more than a woman it’s simply
impossible to explain just how deep the
love was for this record it’s the great
glitter ball manifesto do you need
number seven like a virgin
Madonna Madonna’s second album like a
virgin signified a dynamic
career-defining point for the now iconic
singer her first album had fared very
well but with this record she well and
truly made her mark in the industry it’s
like Material Girl into the groove and
the eponymous like a virgin proved that
Madonna was no one-trick pony she was
here to stay and was lighting the way
for all female pop stars to follow it’s
debatable if even Britney Spears and
baby one more time attracted as much
attention as the Material Girl did in
1984
Oh
number six rumors Fleetwood Mac
one of the most commercially successful
records of all time this album has
shifted over 40 million copies worldwide
which isn’t half bad when you consider
how emotionally fraught Fleetwood Mac
were when making it the personal
relationships of all bad members were
under significant pressure at the time
of recording with an on-and-off split
between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie
Nicks receiving particular press
attention but the group managed a
near-perfect production regardless you
can go anyway and you’ll never find an
album to match it
number five a Night at the Opera Queen
considered by many as the greatest Queen
album which is high praise in itself a
Night at the Opera was also at the time
of its release the most expensive record
ever made Bohemian Rhapsody is easily
the fanciest feather in this particular
cap but as great as Rhapsody is there’s
more than one hit here love of my life
was lauded upon release while you’re my
best friend is an undisputed classic in
pop songwriting in all it’s an epic
experiment in music the like of which
only Queen could conduct
me
number four thriller Michael Jackson the
best-selling pop record of all time
thriller has sold over 60 million copies
worldwide Billie Jean beat it and the
title track itself all served as the
major singles from the album and each
earned unprecedented popularity in part
because of Michael Jackson’s pioneering
use of the music video the parent album
and the title tracks epic video are both
revered to this day well even the LP
cover is a cultural touchstone
when you consider that Jackson also has
the brilliance of the bad album listed
on his discography there’s no
questioning MJ really was the King of
Pop
number three revolver the Beatles
arguably the most influential pop act
ever each and every Beatles album
carries weight and importance sergeant
pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band very
nearly stole third place but we’ve gone
for the Fab Four seventh studio effort
revolver
a marked turning point in the group’s
history revolvers signified the start of
a psychedelic period and a massive
reimagining of the Beatles sound
revolvers rethought what pop music could
be simple hooks and catchy beats were
out pioneering production techniques and
psychological mysterious lyrics were in
this was Beatlemania mark 2
number two Pet Sounds the Beach Boys I
may not always love you but long as
there are stars who love you
possibly the most progressive pop record
ever made Pet Sounds significantly
helped to propel pop and rock music into
an age of experimentation
so-called because of the eclectic
ensemble of instruments which feature on
the record including bicycle bells dog
whistles and harpsichords Pet Sounds is
a Beach Boys albums but a Brian Wilson
brainchild
but now retired from touring Wilson kept
himself busy by being a certified
musical genius and crafting untouchable
classics such as God Only Knows
wouldn’t it be nice and Caroline no
before we reveal our top pick here are a
few honorable mentions
are you
Oh
number one Elvis Presley Elvis Presley
the king of rock and roll’s debut album
broke ground broke ice and broke
convention we’ve seen how other records
transformed popular music but Elvis
Presley self-titled opener more or less
made popular music as we know it today
when Elvis moved his hips
we blushed when he opened his mouth we
screamed he had us all in hysterics
before he’d even played a note and he
had us all hunting through the mall for
a certain shade of suede ohand lay off
my devil my blue suede shoes it wasn’t
country it wasn’t blues and it certainly
wasn’t gospel but it was something no
how long yeah boy I don’t know what you
do
with this record he started the rock
music whirlwind and we’re still riding
it
so do you agree with our list which
album did we overlook for more catchy
top tens published daily be sure to
subscribe to watchmojo.com bamboo
were pioneering welcome to watchmojo.com
and today we’ll be counting down our
picks for the top ten important albums
in pop music history for this list we’ve
looked at all pop albums excluding
Greatest Hits compilations sorry Abba
and included those records without which
the genre could not have developed in
the way that it has these are the
watershed moments in pop music history
number 10 tapestry Carole King when you
are down and troubled an influential
voice within the music industry even
before this record was made after
tapestry Carole King’s legendary pop
credentials went entirely undisputed
good to know that you’ve got a friend
you’ve got a friend is possibly
tapestries most well-known track but as
the album title in furs tapestry is also
a bringing together of Kings past
achievements you make me feel like
you make me feel like a natural woman
was originally recorded by Aretha
Franklin will you love me tomorrow was
originally recorded by the Shirelles but
King originally wrote both and stylish
leery records them here will you still
love me too
number nine spice spice girls the rest
is now
from one show-stopping female performer
to five during the latter half of the
90s scary sporty baby posh and ginger
spice were all that anybody was talking
about and with this their debut album
they revolutionized what it meant to be
in a girl band the Spice Girls were a
well-knit group but they also had
individual personalities that show
a marketing dream they quickly lay down
some world-class pop records as well in
the 90s
these girls were all you wanted all you
really really wanted number eight
Saturday Night Fever the original movie
soundtrack the Bee Gees and various
artists
the only soundtrack album to make
today’s countdown in the late 1970s the
Saturday Night Fever record was
basically the Bible of the dancefloor
sigh day is dominated by the Bee Gees
and features four massive genre-defining
worldwide hits while sides BC and D
rattle through an equally fine
classically rethought rhythm
with tracks like stayin alive Night
Fever and more than a woman it’s simply
impossible to explain just how deep the
love was for this record it’s the great
glitter ball manifesto do you need
number seven like a virgin
Madonna Madonna’s second album like a
virgin signified a dynamic
career-defining point for the now iconic
singer her first album had fared very
well but with this record she well and
truly made her mark in the industry it’s
like Material Girl into the groove and
the eponymous like a virgin proved that
Madonna was no one-trick pony she was
here to stay and was lighting the way
for all female pop stars to follow it’s
debatable if even Britney Spears and
baby one more time attracted as much
attention as the Material Girl did in
1984
Oh
number six rumors Fleetwood Mac
one of the most commercially successful
records of all time this album has
shifted over 40 million copies worldwide
which isn’t half bad when you consider
how emotionally fraught Fleetwood Mac
were when making it the personal
relationships of all bad members were
under significant pressure at the time
of recording with an on-and-off split
between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie
Nicks receiving particular press
attention but the group managed a
near-perfect production regardless you
can go anyway and you’ll never find an
album to match it
number five a Night at the Opera Queen
considered by many as the greatest Queen
album which is high praise in itself a
Night at the Opera was also at the time
of its release the most expensive record
ever made Bohemian Rhapsody is easily
the fanciest feather in this particular
cap but as great as Rhapsody is there’s
more than one hit here love of my life
was lauded upon release while you’re my
best friend is an undisputed classic in
pop songwriting in all it’s an epic
experiment in music the like of which
only Queen could conduct
me
number four thriller Michael Jackson the
best-selling pop record of all time
thriller has sold over 60 million copies
worldwide Billie Jean beat it and the
title track itself all served as the
major singles from the album and each
earned unprecedented popularity in part
because of Michael Jackson’s pioneering
use of the music video the parent album
and the title tracks epic video are both
revered to this day well even the LP
cover is a cultural touchstone
when you consider that Jackson also has
the brilliance of the bad album listed
on his discography there’s no
questioning MJ really was the King of
Pop
number three revolver the Beatles
arguably the most influential pop act
ever each and every Beatles album
carries weight and importance sergeant
pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band very
nearly stole third place but we’ve gone
for the Fab Four seventh studio effort
revolver
a marked turning point in the group’s
history revolvers signified the start of
a psychedelic period and a massive
reimagining of the Beatles sound
revolvers rethought what pop music could
be simple hooks and catchy beats were
out pioneering production techniques and
psychological mysterious lyrics were in
this was Beatlemania mark 2
number two Pet Sounds the Beach Boys I
may not always love you but long as
there are stars who love you
possibly the most progressive pop record
ever made Pet Sounds significantly
helped to propel pop and rock music into
an age of experimentation
so-called because of the eclectic
ensemble of instruments which feature on
the record including bicycle bells dog
whistles and harpsichords Pet Sounds is
a Beach Boys albums but a Brian Wilson
brainchild
but now retired from touring Wilson kept
himself busy by being a certified
musical genius and crafting untouchable
classics such as God Only Knows
wouldn’t it be nice and Caroline no
before we reveal our top pick here are a
few honorable mentions
are you
Oh
number one Elvis Presley Elvis Presley
the king of rock and roll’s debut album
broke ground broke ice and broke
convention we’ve seen how other records
transformed popular music but Elvis
Presley self-titled opener more or less
made popular music as we know it today
when Elvis moved his hips
we blushed when he opened his mouth we
screamed he had us all in hysterics
before he’d even played a note and he
had us all hunting through the mall for
a certain shade of suede ohand lay off
my devil my blue suede shoes it wasn’t
country it wasn’t blues and it certainly
wasn’t gospel but it was something no
how long yeah boy I don’t know what you
do
with this record he started the rock
music whirlwind and we’re still riding
it
so do you agree with our list which
album did we overlook for more catchy
top tens published daily be sure to
subscribe to watchmojo.com bamboo
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