Without the man who raised pop lyrics to the level of poetry, we might still be waiting for the concept of album-oriented music – here we round up Bob Dylan's essential albums

Forget Stairway: here Robert Plant tells us why Physical Graffiti highlight Kashmir really marks Led Zeppelin's musical peak

It's 45 years on from their first album, and Queen's career was no bed of roses, no pleasure cruise... but they kept on fighting

Metallica's One single cemented their status as one of the greatest metal bands in the world – here's the story of how it came to life

Metallica's 1988 album was their step up to the big leagues. But things would never be the same again

At the start of 1987, Metallica were teetering on the edge of a crisis – until they knocked out a cheaply recorded EP of covers

Updated Before he was a fixture at royal weddings, master singer-songwriter-showman Elton John created some of the 70s’ most important and enduring albums.

They rocked hard on record, caused mayhem with Motörhead on the road, and cared about only one thing: the music. Here's Girlschool's 10 Best songs

They rocked hard on record, caused mayhem with Motörhead on the road, and cared about only one thing: the music. Welcome to the world of Girlschool

They had Eric Clapton. They had Jeff Beck. They had Jimmy Page. In the late 60s, no other band could get close to them. And without The Yardbirds, there would be no Led Zeppelin

Mick Wall's book Like A Bat Of Hell tells the story of Meat Loaf's extraordinary career, including the time he lost his voice and his life almost fell apart...

In 1976, Thin Lizzy were just another rock band. Then they released Jailbreak, and the boys weren’t so much back in town as running it. But after a disappointing follow-up, the pressure was on

With drug use rampant in the band, it’s no surprise that the 80s and 90s delivered Fleetwood Mac some dizzying highs and crashing comedowns

Mick Wall achieved worldwide notoriety via his namecheck in Guns N’ Roses’ legendary Get in The Ring, and even seven years later people still ask him why.

In August 1975, Led Zep were about to begin another huge US tour – then disaster struck. But out of the wreckage climbed Presence, and an album Jimmy Page rates as one of their best

In the autumn of 1977, it looked as if Queen’s reign might be over. Instead the band rose to the challenge, hit back with the globally successful News Of The World album and ruled once more

Disenchanted by the British post-punk scene from which they’d risen, The Cult reappeared in 1987 with straight-out rock album Electric – and sparked off a revolution in the process

1987 saw classic album releases from Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith, U2, Whitesnake, Anthrax, Heart, Motley Crue, Marillion, The Replacements and more...

When the reigning kings of rock holed up in the Welsh countryside to write a new album, no one expected the folky pastoral results. But it became one of the band's essential albums...

Houses Of The Holy was the sound of Led Zeppelin at the top of their game. Producer Eddie Kramer was at the helm, and these are his memories of those eight landmark songs

In late August 1966, The Doors entered the studio to record their debut album. Released five months later, it laid down a singular marker that still resonates today

The Bullet For My Valentine frontman revisits his former life as a Welsh sports prodigy

Mad time changes, dark imagery and oblique lyrical references – but was it inspired by a bad drug trip?

Metallica's frontman takes us on a journey back to his school days, retraces the band's tentative steps and explains why his anger is an energy