Is Pink Floyd's The Wall the greatest concept album of all time?

adampeter

Well is it?

Danny1969

It's the greatest album of all time IMHO 

mart

No

AllthegearNoidea

Yes

DiscoStu

Maybe

danishbacon

It’s up there

Philly_Q

It's certainly a very good one.

I'm not a big fan of concept albums, the underlying stories are usually trite and more than a bit crap, even if the music's good... e.g. Queensryche's Operation: Mindcrime and Wasp's The Crimson Idol.

Probably better if the "concept" is a musical theme rather than a storyline, although I'm struggling to think of examples.

Haych

Nope!  I don't know what I would nominate but this wouldn't even make the shortlist.

Winny_Pooh

It's a good one but not quite as good as There's you and there's me by the Matthew Herbert Big Band.



And lately Hadestown, a folk adaptation of the Greek myth.

Tone71

Yes and it's superb

EricTheWeary

I’m not much of a fan of concept albums and I’m not much of a fan of Pink Floyd. Having looked at the concept albums page on Wikipedia there are dozens I’d rather listen to than The Wall. 

Also now when I see The Wall written down I imagine Danny Dyer saying it which doesn’t help. 

munckee

For me yes by a long shot. 

MagicPigDetective

I prefer Dark Side of the Moon to The Wall.

Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails is a good one.

pintspiller

Depends how you define "concept album" to be honest. If you'd class Ziggy Stardust as such, that's probably mine.

adampeter

My own opinion is that it is, the story is fairly interesting, the songs are fantastic and some of the lyrics are mindblowing
The artwork associated is stunning on its on
The guitar solos are IMHO DG's best
And it works in a live setting
But what do i know 

adampeter

pintspiller said:

Depends how you define "concept album" to be honest. If you'd class Ziggy Stardust as such, that's probably mine.

Yeah i would say it is and a good call, not as good as the Wall though 

chromatuna

Not for me it isn’t. Prefer Quadraphenia for one. Lamb Lies Down for another. Saw the tour (Wall 80 or 81?) but Water’s stuff is just not to my taste.

Grumpyrocker

Nope, it's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.

Honourable mentions for Operation Mindcrime and The Crimson Idol. 

Though the track The Idol by WASP is the most unsubtle ripoff of a song ever, being a complete lift of Comfortably Numb. Fab song though. 

Philly_Q

EricTheWeary said:

Also now when I see The Wall written down I imagine Danny Dyer saying it which doesn’t help. 

God I love that programme.  It just cracks me up the way Danny Dyer is in full cockernee gangster geezer mode, even when he's hosting a game show.

wesker123

MagicPigDetective said:

I prefer Dark Side of the Moon to The Wall.

Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails is a good one.

I haven't listened to Downward Spiral since it's release. I did not know it is concept album but do recall it being terrible. 

MagicPigDetective

wesker123 said:

MagicPigDetective said:

I prefer Dark Side of the Moon to The Wall.

Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails is a good one.

I haven't listened to Downward Spiral since it's release. I did not know it is concept album but do recall it being terrible. 

“It is a concept album in which the overarching plot follows the protagonist moving through his own "Downward Spiral", dealing with religion, dehumanization, violence, disease, society, drugs, sex, and finally suicide”.

I think it’s superb, though intesnse and bleak towards the end, but I do like NIN a lot. It’s certainly not for everyone. Year Zero is another good NIN concept album.