Classic Albums

The Best Episodes of Classic Albums

Genre:Documentary

Every episode of Classic Albums ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Classic Albums!

A documentary series about pop and rock albums that are considered the best or most distinctive of a well-known band or musician or that exemplify...
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  1. 8.4/10(1.9k votes)

    #1 - Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon

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    S6:E2

    Listen as all four band members tell the story behind one of the greatest albums ever made. Pink Floyd's masterpiece, 1973's The Dark Side of the Moon broke records when it sold more than 30 million copies and spent 740 weeks on the U.S. charts.

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  2. 8.2/10(155 votes)

    #2 - The Doors: The Doors

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    S8:E1

    The Making of the Doors' Debut Album traces the history of the revolutionary 1967 album in a 90-minute package that features live footage and in-depth interviews with the three surviving band members members -- keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Kreiger and drummer John Densmore -- as they demonstrate the unique musical stylings that contributed to the making of this pivotal album. Others interviewed include engineer Bruce Botnick, and Doors-influenced musicians Henry Rollins and Perry Farrell.

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    Director:Bob Smeaton
    Writer:N/A
  3. 8.2/10(132 votes)

    #3 - Rush: 2112 & Moving Pictures

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    S9:E3

    2112 was the album that saw Rush break through to major chart success, going to No.1 in their native Canada and Top 75 in the USA where it would eventually be certified triple platinum. Moving Pictures opened them to a mass audience for the first time and remains the biggest selling album of their career. It also went to No.1 in Canada and went quadruple platinum there while hitting No.3 in both the UK and USA. Rush members Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart talk us through the making of the albums, together with original producer Terry Brown via interviews, demonstrations, archive videos and use of the original multi-track tapes.

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  4. 8.0/10(536 votes)

    #4 - Iron Maiden: Number of the Beast

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    S3:E1

    Iron Maiden has been both criticized and praised for their unforgiving presentation of hard rock. This album took them to worldwide stardom, and awoke accusations of backward masking, subliminal messages, and Satanism. Producer Martin Birch dissects the master tapes with the five band members, who discuss the writing and recording of each song, while looking for the 'hidden' elements.

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    Director:Tim Kirkby
    Writer:N/A
  5. 7.9/10(472 votes)

    #5 - Queen: A Night at the Opera

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    S6:E1

    The musicianship that went into one of rock's premier achievements is examined. Surviving members Brian May and Roger Taylor talk about Freddie Mercury's contributions, and producer Roy Thomas Baker shows us some isolated channels from the master tapes. Also commentary from Joe Perry and Ian Hunter is included.

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  6. 7.9/10(556 votes)

    #6 - Black Sabbath: Paranoid

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    S9:E1

    With Paranoid celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the Classic Albums/Black Sabbath episode is particularly timely. Music buffs will relish at the 97-minute DVD that touches upon everything from Black Sabbath’s influences, the songwriting process behind tracks like “War Pigs and “Iron Man,” the band’s introduction into America, and even hands-on explanations of the riff work from Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler. In stark contrast to the band’s self-titled debut album (recorded over two days and mixed in one), Paranoid was allowed an opportunity to be crafted in more accommodating studio environment. Those sessions bore a variety of intriguing stories, specifically one that details how “Paranoid” was written off-the-cuff after executives requested a “short song.”

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Classic Albums

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  8. 7.8/10(6 votes)

    #7 - Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon

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    S4:E4

    Engineers Chris Thomas and Alan Parsons peel layers off the master tapes from this 1973 masterpiece. The songs are dissected methodically, and Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Rick Wright are on hand, (though separately), to demonstrate how simplistic some of the writing was.

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  9. 7.8/10(167 votes)

    #8 - Frank Zappa: Apostrophe (')/Over-Nite Sensation

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    S7:E1

    Tells the story of the recording of Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention's "Over-Nite Sensation" and Zappa's solo album "Apostrophe (')".

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  10. 7.6/10(811 votes)

    #9 - Metallica: Metallica (Black Album)

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    S3:E3

    Metallica's 12 million selling breakthrough album is examined in depth. Taped at One on One Studios, where it was recorded, Producer Bob Rock, along with all four band members, discuss the making of each song, and how they polished their sound to command a wider audience.

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  11. 7.6/10(431 votes)

    #10 - The Who: Who's Next

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    S6:E3

    Interviews with Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, along with the late John Entwhistle, who reminisce about the failed attempt to present a rock musical stage show called Lifehouse, tell us how the project evolved into the 1971 classic, Who's Next. Some archival footage is presented, and we are shown by Pete how he developed the synthesized keyboard riffs that gave sonic charges to the album.

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    Director:Bob Smeaton
    Writer:N/A
  12. 7.6/10(179 votes)

    #11 - Peter Gabriel: So

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    S10:E2

    So stands as one of the greatest records of the 1980s, helping define its time to become a true classic album. The film features interviews with Gabriel himself, co-producer Daniel Lanois, bass players Tony Levin and Larry Klein, performer Laurie Anderson, drummer Manu Katché and Rolling Stone editor David Fricke amongst others.

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  13. 7.6/10(8 votes)

    #12 - The Who: Tommy

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    S10:E3

    1968 was a time of soul-searching for the Who - with three badly performing singles behind them, they needed a big new idea to put them back at the top and, crucially, to hold them together as a band. Inspired by Indian spiritual master Meher Baba, Pete Townshend created the character of Tommy, the 'deaf, dumb and blind boy'. Broke and fragmenting when they started recording, the album went on to sell over 20 million copies. In this film, the Who speak for the first time about the making of the iconic album and how its success changed their lives.

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  14. 7.6/10(96 votes)

    #13 - Amy Winehouse: Back to Black

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    S10:E6

    The true story of how Amy Winehouse’s best known and most celebrated body of work came into being. Featuring previously unseen footage of Amy, new interviews with producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, and the musicians who worked with Amy on the album, offering fresh insights into Amy’s remarkable gifts as a singer, songwriter, musician and performer.

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  15. 7.5/10(259 votes)

    #14 - Elton John: Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road

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    S3:E2

    Elton John, along with some of his past and present band members discuss the creation of his opus, 'Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road'. Producer Gus Dudgeon and engineer David Henschel pull up some of the original multi-tracks, and demonstrate how the music was played and sang. Bernie Taupin is also on hand to describe his lyric writing, and some rare footage of rehearsals, and photos shot in the studio, are presented.

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  16. 7.5/10(201 votes)

    #15 - Cream: Disraeli Gears

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    S6:E4

    Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, and Eric Clapton are interviewed in the studio for a track by track analysis of their 1967 classic. Each of them play acoustically, including Bruce on the piano, and some archival footage is presented. Lyricist Peter Brown discusses the creative process for 'Sunshine Of Your Love', among other things.

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  17. 7.5/10(153 votes)

    #16 - John Jennon: Plastic Ono Band

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    S8:E2

    Examines in detail the creation of John Lennon's first solo album and the effect it had on music, and the people who created it.

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  18. 7.5/10(51 votes)

    #17 - Don McLean: American Pie

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    S10:E5

    Series focusing on the albums that have influenced the course of music. This edition looks at Don McLean's album American Pie, crowned by its titular overture and the song Vincent.

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  19. 7.4/10(259 votes)

    #18 - Lou Reed: Transformer

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    S3:E4

    Co-produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, this 1972 landmark album took Lou Reed from cult idol to glam superstar status. Here Reed examines each track, discussing with engineer Ken Scott the creation process. Bassist Herbie Flowers shows us how the riff for 'Walk On The Wild Side', was recorded, and we see some archives of Lou's performances.

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  20. 7.4/10(172 votes)

    #19 - Judas Priest: British Steel

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    S3:E5

    The metal classic 'British Steel' is examined here. The band, minus drummer Dave Holland, explain the songwriting process and lyrical ideas, interspersed with live footage of performances from that period. Producer Tom Allom demonstrates how the sound effects were achieved, and the two guitarists show how their 'trademark' twin guitar sound is generated.

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    Director:Tim Kirkby
    Writer:N/A
  21. 7.4/10(229 votes)

    #20 - Elvis Presley: Elvis Presley

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    S3:E6

    The debut album of the King is examined here. It was the first million-selling rock album, and the first million-selling popular music album for RCA. We hear from some of the producers and musicians who contributed, and each track is discussed in depth. Five of the songs were taken from Elvis' Sun Sessions, and Sam Phillips is on hand to discuss those sessions. Elvis' version of Carl Perkins' classic, 'Blue Suede Shoes' is dissected, and his first smash single, 'Heartbreak Hotel', is included, though not originally on the album.

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  22. 7.4/10(173 votes)

    #21 - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Damn the Torpedoes

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    S9:E2

    The latest addition to Eagle s critically acclaimed and highly successful Classic Albums series is Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 1979 breakthrough album Damn The Torpedoes . The band s third album defined their musical style and took them into the mainstream hitting No.2 on the US charts and spawning the top 10 single Don t Do Me Like That . The DVD features newly filmed contributions from the band members Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Ron Blair and Stan Lynch along with co-producer Jimmy Iovine and engineer Shelly Yakus as they analyse the tracks from the original multi-track tapes and through new and archive performances. Damn The Torpedoes has stood the test of time as one of the great American rock albums of its era and is a worthy addition to the Classic Albums series.

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  23. 7.4/10(38 votes)

    #22 - Carly Simon: No Secrets

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    S10:E4

    Carly Simon reveals the challenges behind No Secrets - the classic album that made her a global star and included the enigmatic song You're So Vain.

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  24. 7.3/10(138 votes)

    #23 - The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds

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    S9:E5

    A look at the creation of the Beach Boys' classic album "Pet Sounds", including conversations with Brian Wilson and group members, lyricist Tony Asher, and members of the studio supergroup The Wrecking Crew.

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  25. 7.0/10(129 votes)

    #24 - Duran Duran: Rio

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    S8:E3

    Tells the story behind the writing, recording and subsequent success of Rio through interviews, musical demonstrations, and archive footage. Original band members Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor are all interviewed along with director Russell Mulchay, former manager Paul Berrow, journalist Beverley Glick, designer Antony Price and Bob Geldolf amongst others.

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  26. 6.7/10(59 votes)

    #25 - Primal Scream: Screamadelica

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    S10:E1

    Primal Scream's seminal album Screamadelica was released in 1991, and synthesized the band's rock 'n' roll roots with the dance culture of that time; for many, the album's sound and imagery came to be regarded as quintessential symbols of the acid house era, perfectly catching the spirit and mood of the early 90s. Using rare archive footage and special performances, this film tells the story of Screamadelica and its hit singles and dance anthems Loaded, Movin' On Up, Come Together and Don't Fight It, Feel It. From the formation of the band in Glasgow to winning the first-ever Mercury prize, the band members explain the record's inception with insights from main producer Andrew Weatherall, Creation Records founder Alan McGee and many others involved with or inspired by this joyful record. Screamadelica both defines a generation and transcends its time, and is a true Classic Album.

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Best Episodes Summary

"Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon" is the best rated episode of "Classic Albums". It scored 8.4/10 based on 1926 votes. Directed by Matthew Longfellow and written by N/A, it aired on 10/5/2006. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Doors: The Doors".