I grew up around music. My friends are musicians, my parents, dad especially, love to find music of any kind, and my sister gave me a lot of my current favorites. With all the different genres of music it's hard to pick just one favorite, but the classic rock genre is the music of the 70’s and 80’s. It is a kind of music filled with great guitar, a pretty special style of singing, and some beyond fantastic bands. Being that classic rock is not only one of my favorite music genres but also one of the most nostalgic things for me to listen to, here are my top 5 classic rock records to ever exist.
1. Frontiers by Journey
Frontiers is my favorite record of all time, by the greatest band to date. The record itself is almost exclusively perfect tracks. Some of the highlights would have to be Ask The Lonely, Separate Ways (Worlds Apart), Faithfully, Troubled Child, I could go on. There is not a single bad track to be found, and picking the highlights is beyond difficult. Frontiers has all the great sounds and feel of a classic rock record, and more. This record will always be my favorite and is a must listen for any and all. 2. Asia by Asia
Asia is shocking to me as a very recent listen of mine. The band itself has produced some staples to the music scene, and most come from this record. The absolute best of this are
Heat of the Moment, Wildest Dreams, and Here Comes The Feeling. In my opinion this is one of the few no skip records out there, although it can vary for some people. While I feel Asia wasted themselves after their second record, this first one is a staple in every classic rock list and always has a special vibe, even beyond the genre.
3. Four by Foreigner
Foreigner’s 4 is the epitome of classic rock, and a must listen for all. Before this record hit, Foreigner definitely had their hits, but this solidified the band’s music ability and importance to music as a whole. 4 as a whole is a record so well done that as an entire record, it could very well be considered the best ever. The highlights are without a doubt Juke Box Hero, Luanne, and Waiting for a Girl Like You. An absolute classic and a must listen for all.
4. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac is in the conversation for top bands of every genre, and Rumours is most of the reason why. While I hate to see the British spelling, there is no denying the sheer impact this record had. The highlights alone are some of the biggest hits, those being; The Chain, Go Your Own Way, and Dreams. There is very little bad to be said about this band’s pure greatness in their own right, and this is a record that never feels out of place.
5. Stranger In Town by Bob Seger
Bob Seger’s Stranger In Town is definitely a more personal pick for me. While this record is still full of fantastic tracks, it probably shouldn’t be making a top 5 classic rock all time. Nonetheless, Bob Seger was one of my introductions to the genre and a lot of what I talked to my friends about. The record is filled with great songs, most of all would be Old Time Rock & Roll, Hollywood Nights, and most of all Still The Same. Again, this probably isn’t the 5th best classic rock album out there, but still a fantastic listen.
Overall, there are tons of great classic rock records and picking 5 will always be difficult. I do think that albums like Boston, Combat Rock, Joshua Tree, and so much more are hard to pass up in a top 5. There is so much to love from this rock world and I highly recommend just diving straight in (starting with these five of course)!