What would you say was the last Masterpiece Album ?

[Mikey]

Anybody who's old enough to know what a Masterpiece Album is knows they just don't happen today.

My question, in YOU'RE opinion what was the last Masterpiece Album ?

Even thought i'm not much of a fan of their work I think i'd pick Nirvana's Nevermind.

Seems like after that everything was about just an individual hit song.

Feel free to disagree and discuss

[EmergencyIan]

I'm probably going to leave out something that's obvious, but, right now, the last "masterpiece" album that comes to mind is The Gin Blossoms "New Miserable Experience. (1992)"

- Ian

[EmergencyIan]

Come to think of it, maybe a more obvious choice would be Green Day's "Dookie." (1994) ...and it succeeded the previous album that I mentioned.

I'm not much of a fan of theirs, but that was a very popular album because, as it turns out, it was pretty darn good.

- Ian

[Random Axe]

I am totally unqualified to give much of an opinion on the subject since I put a HUGE divide between commercial success and musical success. I also come from a progressive rock/prog metal background so my thoughts are further skewed, but here goes my nonsensical ramblings about masterpieace/perfect albums.


Dream Theater/Images and Words - Simply the best album I've ever heard, nothing even close. It's five Juliard guys getting together and doing their own thing and defining an entire genre for the next 25 years.

Queensryche/Operation Mindcrime - Incredible music, great concept. This is about as good as a rock opera can get.

WHitesnake/self titled - This has a great deal of commercial success along with being just a great rock album. Coverdale and Sykes really hit at the right time, and beginning to end there's not a weak track.

GNR/Appetite for Destruction - I absolutely hated them. I couldn't stand the drunk off yooass, white trash sleaze rock, their image or their subject matter. I liked nothing about them. Now, 25 years later I can appreciate them and understand what the appeal was/is. Their songs were way more subversive than anyone knew and they were far more talented than I ever gave them credit for.

Queen/Night at the Opera - Bombastic, over the top art rock and a totally original formula. It also helps having perhaps the best rock singer ever to live fronting you.

Those are just a few that come to mind. I'll stop displaying my musical ignorance and start reading everyone's lists this afternoon. I hold musicians to a much higher standard so my criteria has a serious learning curve/sliding scale.

[megomania]

Rumours

[EMCE Hammer]

I am totally unqualified to give much of an opinion on the subject since I put a HUGE divide between commercial success and musical success. I also come from a progressive rock/prog metal background so my thoughts are further skewed, but here goes my nonsensical ramblings about masterpieace/perfect albums.


Dream Theater/Images and Words - Simply the best album I've ever heard, nothing even close. It's five Juliard guys getting together and doing their own thing and defining an entire genre for the next 25 years.

Queensryche/Operation Mindcrime - Incredible music, great concept. This is about as good as a rock opera can get.

WHitesnake/self titled - This has a great deal of commercial success along with being just a great rock album. Coverdale and Sykes really hit at the right time, and beginning to end there's not a weak track.

GNR/Appetite for Destruction - I absolutely hated them. I couldn't stand the drunk off yooass, white trash sleaze rock, their image or their subject matter. I liked nothing about them. Now, 25 years later I can appreciate them and understand what the appeal was/is. Their songs were way more subversive than anyone knew and they were far more talented than I ever gave them credit for.

Queen/Night at the Opera - Bombastic, over the top art rock and a totally original formula. It also helps having perhaps the best rock singer ever to live fronting you.

Those are just a few that come to mind. I'll stop displaying my musical ignorance and start reading everyone's lists this afternoon. I hold musicians to a much higher standard so my criteria has a serious learning curve/sliding scale.

I am ignoring the question and adding Def Leppard's Hysteria to Axe's list.

[megoapesnut]

RUSH - 2112. Nothing else is even CLOSE!

[Earth 2 Chris]

I'd say Nevermind was the last seismic shift in music while I was paying attention. It was the death blow to the hair metal bands, as suddenly those guys looked like cross-dressing clowns. I wasn't a big fan, but the near instant change in what MTV was playing was obvious even at the time. Even though earlier Seattle bands were already making a dent, Nirvana kicked the door down.

Appetite for Destruction was a huge deal. It didn't really shift music as much, but it did make some of the more...theatrical bands look goofy...although Axel had the hairspray going on in the "Welcome to the Jungle" video.

Chris

[CrimsonGhost]

I'd say Faith No More "Angel Dust".

Geez, it's 22 years old, but I'm having a hard time coming up with one that is more recent.

[Mikey]

I'd say Faith No More "Angel Dust".

Geez, it's 22 years old, but I'm having a hard time coming up with one that is more recent.

That's my point

[thunderbolt]

Achtung Baby or American Idiot

[stuart]

I second Achtung Baby!

[thunderbolt]

[thunderbolt]

while I'm at it, let me throw REM's masterpiece on the pile

[Nostalgiabuff]

all good choices but most, if not all of them are over 20 years old. isn't that sad?
I am wracking my brain here trying to think of something recent and get nothing...

how about the soundtrack for Guardians of the Galaxy? that's my new favorite!

seriously though, I thought McCartneys "NEW" album was great, but not sure AI would put it in masterpiece category