What are your favorite concept albums?

Jesus Christ Superstar is a classic and one of my favorites. And The Who’s Tommy but maybe those are really more rock operas than “concept albums?” What exactly is the definition of concept album? I think I came of age in the golden age of concept albums but maybe I’m still not exactly sure what they are. I’ll look into this and get back to you. :-)

Dream Theater Scenes From a Memory.

Frank Zappa, Joe’s Garage.

Devin Townsend, Ziltoid the Omniscient.

Kamelot’s “The Black Halo” is in my top 5 of all-time favorite albums (for its sound, not necessarily for the story), and it’s a tale loosely based around Faust.

Mastodon’s “Crack in the Skye” surprised me, but it’s definitely one of my favorite (concept) albums. I’d listened to Mastodon’s older stuff and couldn’t stand it, but somebody had me listen to “Oblivion” from that album and I fell in love with it. It was dedicated to one of the members sisters (Skye) who’d committed suicide, and was the tale of a paraplegic who utilizes astral travel, and spends some time in Tsarist Russia.

and, darn it @Rarebear, Dream Theater’s “Metropolis Pt. 2” was my 3rd pick. Dream Theater is one of my very favorite bands, and Scenes from a Memory is probably my favorite album of theirs. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go relisten to this album right now.

I listen to a lot of power metal and prog metal. I hadn’t really thought about it, but a lot of my favorite bands do concept albums.

@Sarcasm wow, all the metal heads are out. Dude crack the sky is a fucking awesome album.

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero
Weezer – Pinkerton

The Turn Of A Friendly Card by The Alan Parsons Project

@SavoirFaire- Sgt. Pepper’s wasn’t really a concept album. Paul originally designed it to be but it never came together that way.

Green Day – American Idiot

Beatles White Album is a concept album of sorts- very deliberate in its structure.

One of my favorites is not well-known but truly impressive- Mud Sun’s The Rebel Cell.

Oh, how could I forget, Jethro Tull Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play

@AstroChuck It depends on your definition of “concept album.” But since Sgt. Pepper’s is listed as an example of a concept album in the question’s details, I figured that it would be operating within the parameters of the question’s intent to assume a definition that included all the examples given. And since I also like the album, I listed it.

Dark Side of the Moon

(aw, poor Syd, went all crazy in the coconut).

Wish You Were Here

Escalator Over the Hill by Carla Bley, although the album sleeve calls this a “chronotransduction”, I’d say it fits into the concept album category.

Special Note: Amongst the all-star cast of musicians (Jack Bruce, John McLaughlin, Linda Ronstadt, Don Cherry, Gato Barbieri, Michael Mantler, Charlie Haden + many more) is LEROY JENKINS the violinist

The Wall (Pink Floyd) :-/

Frank Zappa’s Joe’s Garage Acts I, II and III. Just fun crazy music with some of the best musicians in the business.

Frank Sinatra’s “Songs for Only the Lonely,” his greatest LP and supposedly one of the first, if not the first, officially recorded concept album.

Also love Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” and The Who’s “Tommy.”

Another vote for Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd’s The Wall
Queen’s A Night At the Opera

Seventh son of a Seventh son-Maiden
Crack the Skye-Mastodon (I saw Mastodon playing the entire album live. It was a trippy and euphoric experience. Also, it’s the first time I’ve actually enjoyed Mastodon)
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars-David Bowie.
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea-Neutral Milk Hotel
The Wall, Animals, and Wish You Were Here- Pink Floyd
Freak Out!-Frank Zappa

surprised nobody mentioned Queensryche’s ‘Operation Mindcrime’
one of my favs

also Fear Factory’s ‘Obsolete’ – you have to listen to it while reading the liner notes, actual CD is recommended.

Kansas I cant remember the name…..

@Austinlad That’s crazy! I love Frank Sinatra and I never knew that..
@AstroChuck I think Sgt. Pepper’s ended up a concept album, it might not’ve been what they wanted at first, but I think I’d still count it as one

Okkerrvil River. – Black sheep boy.