and the winner is:

bob dylan - bringing it all back home

thanks to rocky raccoon. your post was the most convincing. i will head out today to purchase a copy.

now for this week's 10 albums. my collection seriously lacks albums by the top artists. the bob dylan hole will be filled today, but so many others still remain.

The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St
The Rolling Stones - Beggar's Banquet
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie - Hunky Dory
Led Zeppelin - IV
Led Zeppelin - II
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town
The Who - Who's Next
The Who - Tommy

i should probably own every single one of those...

Woohoo, I win! What do I get? Just kidding. You'll have to let us all know what you think.

Of the albums you list, I'd recommend either Ziggy, which I think is the best of the bunch, or Beggars Banquet, which doesn't have quite the reputation of Exile, but might be a better First Stones Album, if you know what I mean.

If I had carte blanche, I would suggest going directly from Bringing It All Back Home to Highway 61. When I'm discovering music, I like to listen to a lot of an artist's stuff all at once--but this is your show, of course.

Well, even if I really love Who's next, I think you should indeed get Ziggy Stardust first... I only bought it very recently too, and it is totally amazing !

I'm gonna have to vote for "Who's Next". Although I personally like "Tommy" a lot too I think that "Who's Next" is a little more for everyone, if you know what I mean. "Who's Next" has everything that's great about The Who, it has the fantastic intros (Baba O'Riley), the really rocking songs (Won't Get Fooled Again) and the (relatively) simple but brilliant ones (like Bargain).

Second and third would be Born To Run and Tommy.

schleuse, i totally agree. and, funnily enough, that's why i'm doing one artist at a time. if i like this bob dylan album, then i won't need this topic to motivate me to go out and buy more of his stuff, i'll do it on my own, and probably more than one album at once. only if i'm having trouble "getting" dylan will he find his way back into this little game of mine. so yes, one artist at a time. that way, this topic will never recommend an album that i'm likely to buy on my own anyway.

Ziggy, of course. But Hunky Dory is awesome too...

You should buy Tommy. It's on third place, or so, on my best albums ever list. Amazing album, with loads of great songs, but the best is the total package. None of the other albums on your lists has been filmed. Tommy has, so you can watch your album with the songs sung by the likes of Elton John, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and even Jack Nicholson.

Ziggy would be my second choice from that list. Exile On Main St is something I see as ridiculously essential.

Tommy is kind of overrated. Most of the individual songs don't sound that good if you think the plot is silly. I don't even think it's the Who's best concept album, I would go with Quadrophenia over it.

Ziggy. It's loaded with great songs.

I would recommend you Bruce Springsteen, either Born to Run or Darkness which are both excellent, lyrically and musically. Epic rock for sure.

My second choice would be Ziggy Stardust, it is a pop masterpiece.

I'd vote for Hunky Dory not just because it's one of my favorite albums of all-time but because you probably have never heard most of the stuff off of it. When you listen to any of those other albums you've probably already heard most of the album. I'd go with Hunky Dory because it will be a new listen instead of just discovering deep cuts.

The only skippable ones from that list are Tommy and Beggar's Banquet. I think the other 8 are essential.

Beggars Banquet. The other ones don't ship that amount of willing chicks to you. Believe me, I'm.. well...

I vote 'Who's Next' - would take it over Tommy anyday...

I'm listening to the whole Who live at Woodstock (bootleg)
Rune, if you like Tommy (I do too) you should search for it

Two words for ya-Beggars Banquet. If not, Ziggy Stardust.
Avoid Tommy like the plague...