Stopgap cash grab by the record company or the result of artist indulgence that can’t be contained within the usual confines of a single LP? The double album has been both throughout its long and inflated history.
As the list below of the Top 35 Double Albums, chosen by UCR’s staff, shows, two LPs are regularly better than one, particularly when it comes to the most legendary artists. (The Beatles, the Clash, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and the Who arguably were never better than on their double albums.)
Many of the greatest records in rock and pop history are double albums. This is often because of their nature — creative outpouring can lead to new ideas being explored in innovative ways — and other times, they’ve arrived at the peak of an artist’s career. So, given the freedom and opportunity to expand the playing time of their music, artists leap at the chance.
READ MORE: Top 100 Live Albums
The summary features personal statements and career-encapsulating inventories, concept albums and stories of the creators’ journeys to that point; they share a belief that expression shouldn’t be limited by time, length and expectations. The best of these albums could never be as fully realized as they are in this twice-as-much form.
The list below includes live albums, sometimes the most defining works of an artist’s career, but it does not include compilations. In some cases, the entire concept of the double album is turned inside out, because great music doesn’t have to follow rules.
Top 35 Double Albums
When twice the amount of music really matters.
Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci
