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The Best Episodes of Classic Albums

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

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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 a stage in the history of music.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Classic Albums Season 10 Episode 9 - The Who Sell Out
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #1 - The Who Sell Out

    S10:E9

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Classic Albums Season 4 Episode 4 - Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon
    7.8/10(6 votes)

    #2 - Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon

    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.

    Director:Matthew Longfellow
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Classic Albums Season 1 Episode 6 - Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
    7.5/10(2 votes)

    #3 - Fleetwood Mac: Rumours

    S1:E6

    The band's Grammy-winning 1977 album is given the Classic Albums treatment. We hear from all the band members, and technicians who worked on the project. Each track is examined and the master tapes are analysed. Included is some archival performance footage, along with some home movies.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Classic Albums Season 3 Episode 6 - Elvis Presley: Elvis Presley
    7.5/10(2 votes)

    #4 - Elvis Presley: Elvis Presley

    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.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Classic Albums Season 4 Episode 2 - The Sex Pistols: Never Mind The Bollocks
    7.5/10(2 votes)

    #5 - The Sex Pistols: Never Mind The Bollocks

    S4:E2

    The Sex Pistols only released one album before breaking up, but it set off the punk movement, and turned the British music industry on its head. Featuring interviews with John Lydon (Johnny Rotten), Steve Jones and Paul Cook, plus original bassist Glen Matlock, along with producer Chris Thomas, Classic Albums looks at the way it was written and recorded. Also shown is some rare television footage from that time, and some concert performances by the groundbreaking band.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Classic Albums Season 1 Episode 2 - Grateful Dead: Anthem to Beauty
    7.0/10(2 votes)

    #6 - Grateful Dead: Anthem to Beauty

    S1:E2

    The chronicles of the making of the Grateful Dead albums Anthem of the Sun (1969) and American Beauty (1970). These releases were an important step in the rise of the Grateful Dead to legend status. Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, along with some interviews with Jerry Garcia, discuss what went into the writing and recording.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Classic Albums

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  7. Classic Albums Season 2 Episode 5 - Steely Dan: Aja
    7.0/10(2 votes)

    #7 - Steely Dan: Aja

    S2:E5

    Donald Fagen and Walter Becker delve into the master tapes to discuss the year-long effort that went into this, their biggest album. Well known as perfectionists in the studio, this labor of love is dissected layer by layer. Producer Gary Katz and engineer Roger Nichols help explain the craft and detail that the Dan, along with Michael McDonald and some other session players, spent on the Grammy-winning jazz-rock classic.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Classic Albums Season 2 Episode 3 - Meat Loaf: Bat Out Of Hell
    6.5/10(2 votes)

    #8 - Meat Loaf: Bat Out Of Hell

    S2:E3

    In 1977, Marvin Lee Aday, aka Meat Loaf, shocked the music world by releasing this 30 million-selling blockbuster. Previously little-known as an actor and singer , he hooked up with writer Jim Steinman, producer Todd Rundgren, and vocalists Ellen Foley and Carla Devito, to create one of the top five sellers of all time. Kasim Sultan and Max Weinberg, who also played on the album are heard from, and Todd isolates some of the masters to show how the sounds were created.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Classic Albums Season 3 Episode 1 - Iron Maiden: Number of the Beast
    6.5/10(2 votes)

    #9 - Iron Maiden: Number of the Beast

    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.

    Director:Tim Kirkby
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Classic Albums Season 3 Episode 2 - Elton John: Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road
    6.5/10(2 votes)

    #10 - Elton John: Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road

    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.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Classic Albums Season 3 Episode 5 - Judas Priest: British Steel
    6.5/10(2 votes)

    #11 - Judas Priest: British Steel

    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.

    Director:Tim Kirkby
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Classic Albums Season 9 Episode 1 - Black Sabbath: Paranoid
    6.5/10(2 votes)

    #12 - Black Sabbath: Paranoid

    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.”

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Classic Albums Season 4 Episode 1 - Def Leppard: Hysteria
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    #13 - Def Leppard: Hysteria

    S4:E1

    Def Leppard labored for more than a year to record this, their follow-up to 'Pyromania'. Producer Mutt Lange and the group describe track by track what went into the writing, rehearsing, and recording. Layers are peeled away at the mixing board as we see and hear how their vocal sound, guitar effects, and drums are engineered. Also, they play acoustic versions of two of their biggest hits from the record. As a bonus, an early rendition of 'Love Bites', which thankfully was given a complete overhaul, is presented.

    Director:Matthew Longfellow
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Classic Albums Season 8 Episode 3 - Duran Duran: Rio
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    #14 - Duran Duran: Rio

    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.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Classic Albums Season 9 Episode 3 - Rush: 2112 & Moving Pictures
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    #15 - Rush: 2112 & Moving Pictures

    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.

    Director:Martin R. Smith
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Classic Albums Season 1 Episode 1 - Paul Simon: Graceland
    5.0/10(1 votes)

    #16 - Paul Simon: Graceland

    S1:E1

    This premiere episode spotlights Paul's 1986 Grammy-winning 'comeback' album. Introduced by Ringo Starr, each song is examined from the studio perspective. Paul considers the title track to be "The best I ever did". He describes how he came up with the musical and lyrical ideas, and we hear comments from the engineers and from prominent critics, and some of the South African musicians who contributed.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Classic Albums Season 2 Episode 2 - Phil Collins: Face Value
    5.0/10(1 votes)

    #17 - Phil Collins: Face Value

    S2:E2

    Phil's first solo album, which launched his career outside of Genesis, is examined here. Engineer Hugh Padgham peels the layers of sound back, and Phil explains how the lyrics to many of the songs wrote themselves, as he was going through a bitter divorce. Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, and Darrell Stuermer are on hand, and many of the studio musicians who contributed are seen as they describe working with Phil.

    Director:Jeremy Marre
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Classic Albums Season 2 Episode 4 - Bob Marley & The Wailers: Catch A Fire
    5.0/10(1 votes)

    #18 - Bob Marley & The Wailers: Catch A Fire

    S2:E4

    Producer Chris Blackwell is the main focus of this episode, as he recounts bringing in some top American session men to the studio, in an attempt to break Bob Marley to the US audiences. Wailer Peter Tosh, and instrumentalists Wayne Perkins and Rabbit Bundrick are interviewed, and we see some rare clips of Bob himself.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Classic Albums Season 3 Episode 3 - Metallica: Metallica (Black Album)
    5.0/10(2 votes)

    #19 - Metallica: Metallica (Black Album)

    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.

    Director:Matthew Longfellow
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Classic Albums Season 4 Episode 3 - Deep Purple: Machine Head
    5.0/10(1 votes)

    #20 - Deep Purple: Machine Head

    S4:E3

    The 1972 early metal classic is examined here. After a brief recount of Deep Purple's history prior, all five members of the group from that time recount the making of the album, and Jon Lord, Richie Blackmore, and Roger Glover isolate some of their parts, and play along live. Engineer Martin Birch also lends a hand, describing how the instrumental sounds were produced.

    Director:Matthew Longfellow
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Classic Albums Season 5 Episode 2 - Nirvana: Nevermind
    5.0/10(2 votes)

    #21 - Nirvana: Nevermind

    S5:E2

    In 1991 Nirvana’s Nevermind, with the songs of Kurt Cobain, changed the music business without compromise, record company hype or media overkill. The album replaced Michael Jackson at the top of the American charts and so began a rapid rise to international superstardom for the band. This is the story of how Nirvana came to record Nevermind and the effect the record had on the music world and on the band themselves. It offers an insight into the songwriting genius of Kurt Cobain and reveals why Nevermind remains a milestone in rock history.

    Director:Bob Smeaton
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Classic Albums Season 6 Episode 2 - The Who: Who's Next
    5.0/10(1 votes)

    #22 - The Who: Who's Next

    S6:E2

    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.

    Director:Bob Smeaton
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Classic Albums Season 6 Episode 3 - Cream: Disraeli Gears
    5.0/10(1 votes)

    #23 - Cream: Disraeli Gears

    S6:E3

    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.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Classic Albums Season 8 Episode 1 - The Doors: The Doors
    5.0/10(1 votes)

    #24 - The Doors: The Doors

    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.

    Director:Bob Smeaton
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Classic Albums Season 9 Episode 2 - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Damn the Torpedoes
    5.0/10(1 votes)

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

    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.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"The Who Sell Out" is the best rated episode of "Classic Albums". It scored 8/10 based on 1 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 4/23/2021. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon".