The Vinyl Issue: Essential LPs

No matter how big or ecletic your vinyl collection, these are the ten essential LPs that should be at the heart of it.

THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE

Are You Experienced (TRACK, 1967)

As Classic Rock’s Charles Shaar Murray wrote: “Are You Experienced completely changed notions of what a guitar could sound like, or indeed, what music could sound like. ”The original UK pressing, unlike the US version, was originally missing key singles Purple Haze, Hey Joe and The Wind Cries Mary. On recent reissues, however, nothing is missing./o:p

THE BEATLES

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (PARLOPHONE, 1967)

John Lennon called it “a peak”. What The Beatles created in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was a work of dazzling brilliance in which pure songwriting craft met groundbreaking experimentation. Almost 50 years on, it remains the most iconic album in history. Its pop art cover, equally iconic, was lost on CD: further proof that vinyl rules./o:p

ROLLING STONES

Sticky Fingers (ROLLING STONES, 1971)

Out went the blues, in came Staxy horns, soul, ushering in the new, sexier Stones of the 70s. A move reflected in Andy Warhol’s cover photo of a denim-clad crotch with a working zipper./o:p

DAVID BOWIE

The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (RCA, 1972)

The makeover that restyled Bowie as the space-age androgyne for boys and girls alike, aided by an iconic sleeve. Mick Ronson’s bearish guitar riffs and Bowie’s ear for melody and melodrama enabled Ziggy to both define and transcend glam rock./o:p

PINK FLOYD

Dark Side Of The Moon [HARVEST, 1973]

Pink Floyd’s breakthrough LP was a richly textured psychedelic voyage where the elegant cover art and bleak, introspective themes dovetailed smoothly into its prismatic sonic landscapes. Absorbed through headphones, this is the quintessential vinyl experience. /o:p

LED ZEPPELIN

Physical Graffiti (SWAN SONG, 1975)

Revered by Zeppelin connoisseurs as the band’s greatest work, double album Physical Graffiti has become a kind of monument to vinyl fetishism. Only in this format is the genius of the album’s cover design fully realised, with cutout windows revealing various and strange images. And the music was perfectly arranged by Jimmy Page across four sides, with side two an epic journey in itself: Houses Of The Holy, Trampled Under Foot, Kashmir./o:p

THE SEX PISTOLS

Never Mind The Bollocks… (VIRGIN 1977)

From its distinctly lairy artwork to its 12 scabrous, unrelenting mid-paced anthems, Never Mind The Bollocks isn’t just the greatest punk-rock album of them all, it’s a rock’n’roll masterpiece that sounds as belligerent and thrilling today as it did 38 years ago./o:p

AC/DC

Back In Black (ATLANTIC, 1980)

On the pitch-black cover, only the band’s logo was clearly visible, lined in white; the album’s title was embossed, black on black – a tribute to the band’s deceased singer Bon Scott. And yet, for AC/DC, Back In Black was not a wake but a rebirth. With Bon’s replacement Brian Johnson singing his ass off, the band created the perfect hard-rock record./o:p

METALLICA

Master Of Puppets (MUSIC FOR NATIONS/MERCURY, 1986)

A defining album for metal, Master Of Puppets was originally released in the UK on indie label Music For Nations (pressings now sell for £300), and on Elektra in the US. For pure artistry and monolithic heaviness, it’s the peak of Metallica’s career./o:p

GUNS N’ ROSES

Appetite For Destruction (GEFFEN, 1987)

The greatest debut LP in rock was named after Robert Williams’ brutal cover image. After retailers refused to stock it, later pressings were given a new skull/crucifix design. But original copies are still out there – a classic record in its full, shocking glory./o:p

Classic Rock

Classic Rock is the online home of the world's best rock'n'roll magazine. We bring you breaking news, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes features, as well as unrivalled access to the biggest names in rock music; from Led Zeppelin to Deep Purple, Guns N’ Roses to the Rolling Stones, AC/DC to the Sex Pistols, and everything in between. Our expert writers bring you the very best on established and emerging bands plus everything you need to know about the mightiest new music releases.

Latest in
Queen posing for a photograph in 1978
"Freddie’s ideas were off the wall and cheeky and different, and we tended to encourage them, but sometimes they were not brilliant.” Queen's Brian May reveals one of Freddie Mercury's grand ideas that got vetoed by the rest of the band
Mogwai
“The concept of cool and uncool is completely gone, which is good and bad… people are unashamedly listening to Rick Astley. You’ve got to draw a line somewhere!” Mogwai and the making of prog-curious album The Bad Fire
Adrian Smith performing with Iron Maiden in 2024
Adrian Smith names his favourite Iron Maiden song, even though it’s “awkward” to play
Robert Smith, Lauren Mayberry, Bono
How your purchase of albums by The Cure, U2, Chvrches and more on Record Store Day can help benefit children living in war zones worldwide
Cradle Of Filth performing in 2021 and Ed Sheeran in 2024
Cradle Of Filth’s singer claims Ed Sheeran tried to turn a Toys R Us into a live music venue
The Beatles in 1962
"The quality is unreal. How is this even possible to have?" Record shop owner finds 1962 Beatles' audition tape that a British label famously decided wasn't good enough to earn Lennon and McCartney's band a record deal
Latest in Features
Mogwai
“The concept of cool and uncool is completely gone, which is good and bad… people are unashamedly listening to Rick Astley. You’ve got to draw a line somewhere!” Mogwai and the making of prog-curious album The Bad Fire
The Mars Volta
“My totalitarian rule might not be cool, but at least we’ve made interesting records. At least we polarise people”: It took The Mars Volta three years and several arguments to make Noctourniquet
Ginger Wildheart headshot
"What happens next, you give everyone a hard-on and then go around the room with a bat like Al Capone?!” Ginger Wildheart's wild tales of Lemmy, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Cheap Trick and more
Crispian Mills and Bob Ezrin
“We spent seven months on David Gilmour’s boat and almost bankrupted ourselves. But Bob encouraged us to dream big”: How Bob Ezrin brought out the prog in Kula Shaker
Buckethead and Axl Rose onstage
Psychic tests! Pet wolves! Chicken coops! Guns N' Roses and the wild ride towards Chinese Democracy
Ne Obliviscaris
"Exul ended up being recorded at 10 different studios over two and a half years." Ne Obliviscaris and the heroic story of their fourth album