A Brief History of the Concept Album

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[@Polyphonic]

Unfortunately I didn't have nearly enough time to shout out all the amazing concept albums in this video. What's a favorite of yours that I missed?

[@isaiahvoss]

Linkin Park: A Thousand Suns. (I haven't listened to the whole album but its a different approach on how Linkin Park uses electronic instruments with more samples from J. Robert Oppenheimer "Now I am become death, destroyer of worlds" in The Radiance) It was an album the band wanted to make for themselves.

[@daelen.cclark]

Daft Punk’s Discovery & R.A.M Both are good on their own & connect really well. Avalanches: Since I left you

[@ang3lstardust]

If want a modern-day concept EP, check The Chronicles of Problems with Internal Consciousness by my solo project, Socially Ill. Ziggy Stardust was great, Tommy, Animals, American Idiot, The Wall, Wish You Were Here.

[@TheRealP1mpt12mYOYT]

Balls

[@fleshrags]

Twin Fantasy - Car Seat Headrest

[@Toast960]

An overlooked concept album from The Who's catalog is The Who Sell Out. It's a fun album designed to be a pirate radio broadcast, complete with commercials the band wrote. And the front and back covers are pop art at its most fun.

[@t.c.bramblett617]

Yeah! Often called one of the first concept albums

[@owenp1996]

Not to mention their A Quick One suite from 66

[@Someyungrebel]

Let’s not forget the beans gave Roger pneumonia

[@GuitarSlayer136]

It's like THE concept album but Tommy is still one of my favorite "roller coaster" albums where you start from track 1 and ride it to the end.

[@thuaug4417]

Absolutely. Came here to say same.

[@NeverFirst1]

Finally, a Concept video about Concept Albums.

[@pietromarilac]

a new kind of meta. *i like it*

[@MK-1010]

What a crazy idea!

[@aurum1235]

lol

[@lucastaylor0]

We need a concept album about concept videos on concept albums

[@Q-Ball.]

A concept comment on a concept video

[@fishfinners505]

Everything Everywhere at the End of Time by The Caretaker is an epic 6 Stage Concept Album exploring dementia and it’s effects. It’s beautifully haunting.

[@you_were_the_chosen_one]

one of my favorite pieces of musical storytelling, yet it's so disturbing and unapproachable that I've never been able to listen to all of it in a sitting.

[@LZRD107]

Was waiting for this comment lol. Everybody acts like it's so deep but it's really just elevator music that gets distorted overtime

[@jjshwa]

Sad that the 70s prog scene didn't get much of a mention. Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick and Yes' Close to the Edge I think are the epitome of concept albums.

[@senditkevin]

Check out a project called Ayreon. A running concept throughout the albums he has created under that name, brings in a lot of different singers and instrumentalists also.

[@joaquinlezcano2372]

Close to the edge is a concept album?

[@garanceadrosehn9691]

I think of _"Close to the Edge"_ as a major landmark album for Prog Rock, but it doesn't seem like a concept album to me.

[@jjshwa]

@@garanceadrosehn9691 yeah I got it wrong, the title track itself feels like a concept album so much so that I forgot the other two tracks aren't. A better example would've probably been Lamb Lies Down by Genesis. I was also thinking Tarkus but forgot the title track was the only good song on the album.

[@jooree7696]

​@@senditkevinlove my good Ayreon😊

[@thelastchannelonyoutube]

I’ve always felt the “death of the album” narrative was always an overly cynical view point because it dismisses albums as merely a way collection of songs and not an experience itself that people take the value in. I think that people’s standards for albums have increased in the streaming era than when everything had to be physical because now more people expect them to be cohesive experiences and are less forgiving to “skips” now that you can just save your favorite songs into your own personal playlist.

[@megadethfan-hx5oj]

TL;DR- The music listening experience is less cohesive and more personal to listeners I would agree with the opening, but I believe the opposite is in effect. Today, I look at new albums from pop artists, and click the first few starred songs. Rather than waste my time with filler trash, I skip ahead. Word of mouth was way more serious for music than it is today. A friend telling you to listen to The Wall in entirety for an amazing experience, does not carry the same weight as it would today. I simply send my friends links to albums, or show them on my phone/speaker. It is a whole ethereal experience to make them sit through you turning on the turnstile.

[@thelastchannelonyoutube]

@@megadethfan-hx5oj I think you misunderstood my point. I'm not saying physical media is outdated (I collect albums from my favorite bands), I'm saying when the ONLY way to listen to you're favorite songs is to buy a vinyl record or cassette that places the songs you actually want in between filler, you had to bite the bullet.

[@GiI11]

Nah, you flip a record once and immediately realize why LPs are the best medium for concepts.

[@megadethfan-hx5oj]

@@thelastchannelonyoutube I agree 100%, I just differ where I see biting the bullet as the experience but that’s highly subjective and you make a pretty solid point for media today.

[@thelastchannelonyoutube]

@@GiI11 That's not what I said. I said the convenience of streaming services made people less forgiving to filler. Of course a concept album that's good front to back will make for a good experience, but no one wants to listen to a whole LP that's full of mediocre tracks just because it has 2 great songs.

[@colincolbert6759]

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have a discography full of concept albums. Many of their albums share the same universe fans call the Gizzverse, and other albums such as Infest the Rats' Nest and Fishing for Fishies follow concepts about the environment.

[@tomisgood]

Came here to say this. How are you going to talk about concept albums and not mention a band that's made over 15 concept albums in under 10 years?

[@konradkodzinski3027]

Nonagon infinity opens the door

[@lennardfransen3255]

I'd say they have a concept discography.

[@GuitarSlayer136]

Frog Breath Steam Tent.

[@MizerIsHere]

@@konradkodzinski3027 wait for the answer to open the door

[@aledandrian]

One of the most underrated concept albums is Time by Electric Light Orchestra, way ahead of its time in sound/production and packed with incredible songs

[@ozma4184]

I just listened to that album.

[@aledandrian]

@@ozma4184 what did you think

[@thatplane3865]

Eldorado as well, it's a masterclass in orchestral rock conception

[@marianourcaray8096]

Love it. A big influence on Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots by Flaming Lips.

[@marguskiis7711]

Most of ELO albums were concepts

[@lukepurser3432]

Danger days is a unique example of being a radio broadcast from an alternate dystopian future. Despite not having a specific story, it maintains the identity of the persona the band took on as the killjoys.

[@Ntlcstr]

There is actually a story, Gerard made 2 comic series about it, The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys and National Anthem

[@lukepurser3432]

@@Ntlcstr oh yeah there is a story to the world, just not on the album. I was just saying there's no overarching story to the album, it was purely a different perspective the songs were written from.

[@tss3393]

Killjoys, make some noise! Love hearing this album get praise for what it is instead of hearing people complain about how different it was from MCR's past personas. It's not their best album, but it's definitely their most fun.

[@layne05]

@@lukepurser3432 Well, there was a story, kinda.. Half of them die in the middle of the album (Jet-Star and the Kobra Kid/Traffic Report) and the rest of them die at the end of the album, leading Dr. Death to flee. The comics pick up after that, however it seems more like the comics pick up after the music videos, not necessarily the album itself

[@lukepurser3432]

@@layne05 actually I'm pretty sure they all die together in the sing music video. I think the traffic report was just an altercation. I was onktbsaying there isn't an over arching plot to the album like there is to the black parade or three cheers.

[@yomommasan292]

Happy to see Deltron 3030 was shouted out in this one. Fantastic and wonderfully unique record.

[@LoganT101]

Not just one of my favourite concept albums but one of my favourite albums of all time!

[@FlyoverStatePark]

Still so tragic that his verse in "Clint Eastwood" completely overshadowed it's release at the time.

[@Vanabond]

Glad to see del getting mentioned anywhere! Would love to see him make a video on deltron 3030, gorillaz, delthefunkyhomosapien etc

[@fromulus]

I still listen to it, just did a week ago.

[@Typical.Anomaly]

I'm only 2 minutes in and was wondering if it would be mentioned! My 2020 lockdown theme song was "Virus" lol

[@rodrigoadiogo]

Just wanted to mention King Gizzard's many concept albums throughout the 2010s, but if I were to mention just one, it has to be Nonagon Infinity, an album with a narrative that prolongs through 9 tracks, linked together in a single sequence, with no stop, not even at the very end of the album, which can be looped back to the beginning of the opening track seamlessly, creating in fact THE nonagon infinity

[@villagegreen5061]

The kinks definitely deserve a shoutout on concept albums especially with village green preservation society and arthur

[@Yarin4ever]

Yeah! Lola Vs The Powerman is also an interesting take on the music industry.

[@robertlandrum1971]

You briefly mention The Beach Boys in your video. I’m pretty confident that their 1966 album Pet Sounds could easily fit into the Concept Album vein. It’s an album whose main theme is that of a young man who’s just become an adult. The songs deal with the joys, trials and tribulations of life outside of mom and dad’s house. Not to mention, Pet Sounds was the album that inspired The Beatles to make Sgt. Pepper.

[@FlyoverStatePark]

I agree! Especially if you watch the movie Love and Mercy right before listening to it.

[@DoubtfulCertainties]

Its unfinished follow-up Smile was supposed to be a much more cohesive concept album. The album was too ambitious to finish and they never settled on a single concept, but the concept of "a journey through America and its history" is quite obvious (with a little imagination). The Bicycle Rider theme was even supposed to be a returning motif throughout the album, (rock) opera style. It was originally supposed to be released in early 1967, before Sgt. Pepper's. If it was released back then, I'd imagine that the Beatles would have tried to create a much more cohesive concept for Sgt. Pepper's to keep up with the Beach Boys. Sadly we can only imagine, but at least we have the Smile Sessions (2011), unfinished but still great.

[@pottingsoil]

Sloop John B?

[@robertlandrum1971]

@@pottingsoil Imagine if one of your first jobs was working on a fishing vessel. That’s how I would make it work.

[@henryh2712]

The song is about a young man embarking on a new journey and while it’s novel and fun, he feels homesick. I think it’s easy to draw parallels from that to the themes on the rest of the songs

[@elstonngunn4193]

I love concept albums, my favourite concept album is The rainbow goblins by masayoshi Takanaka it’s just such an incredibly put together album the music is astounding as the narration is beautiful anyone who hasn’t listened to it I’d recommend it a listen

[@jankbunky4279]

Totally agreed! The whole thing is a very easy and fun listen, that really does bring you on a journey of uplifting, catchy soundscapes.

[@DokThan]

Fr. Takanaka is so awesome.

[@derraumdeuter3671]

Oh my god Takanaka is such a genius I love that album

[@gnarwhal7562]

Interestingly enough, the 1978 Rainbow Goblins story that that album is based on (written by Ul De Rico, who was also a contributor on the Neverending Story), also inspired Primus' concept album The Desaturating Seven in 2017. So that children's book has had 2 concepts albums borrowing from it

[@jamessidebotham]

yess

[@joe.osullivan]

Got to shout out some of my favorite concept albums not mentioned. The Moody Blues "Days of Future Passed", Rush "2112", and Yes "Close to the Edge". All fairly early on in the Prog and concept album movement, but all are incredible works of art.

[@robertwilloughby8050]

Would also include, if you're talking about the Moodies, "A Question Of Balance". I love that album!

[@mryett]

DOFP was released in 1967 so I don't know how that doesn't get a shout out?

[@SkorpioMusic]

2112 definitely worth the mention. And the brief nod to Queensryche was cool, but Operation Mindcrime deserves 5-10 seconds of explanation on its own imo. 😁

[@badbeardbill9956]

2112 isn’t really a concept album… more of a concept side or song. Much of the content isn’t related to the concept of the song 2112. Good stuff though.

[@relativetimeworx8459]

While singullarly brilliant, Close To The Edge was not a concept album. Yes braved that trail on Tales From Topographic Oceans.

[@gayvalds]

"Days Of Future Passed" by The Moody Blues is such constantly overlooked even though it's widely considered to be one of the first "true concept albums" where everything is connected flows into each other on both sides....It's also one of the first "pop" albums to fully utilize surround sound, as well as one of the most influential psychedelic-progressive albums ever released.

[@jckistan]

Arthur by the Kinks is one of my favourite albums, and arguably one of the best concept albums ever. It follows the titular Arthur as he is born into the late Victorian era, fights in World War One, explores the boom of the interwar years and later WW2 years, ending with Shangri-La, a song about how he feels unfulfilled having bought his ideal house with nothing to do, and Arthur, a song about his entire life and the struggles he endured throughout. It's a really moving album as you watch a man live and die in about thirty minutes. If you are reading this, go listen to "Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire". It's incredible.

[@anadestro5900]

I'm a 2000 kid so I have to say that "American Idiot" is my favorite one. It changed the way of my view of concept albums and gave me so much inspiration as a writer.

[@blakesadler]

If you like that, check out Zen Arcade by Husker Du

[@debutchi]

Green Day was deeply inspired by concept albums created by the who! They even re-recorded a the who song that they released at the end of their album 21st century breakdown, another concept album of theirs

[@artificial-jellyfish]

For sure Ethel Cain’s “ Preachers Daughter “ album is a amazing listen and story. I remember the first time I listened to it and just felt drained afterward , each song is amazing and just it’s a perfect concept album.

[@grayperson178]

yes! she is really changing the definition of concept albums- i’m so excited for the story to continue!

[@kawaiidemonprincess]

i can't wait for the whole trilogy of albums and the movies and the books

[@spacemanrob96]

Village Green Preservation Society and Arthur by The Kinks are really good underrated concept albums.

[@luisacata04]

Two of my favorites

[@FlyoverStatePark]

writing these down...

[@Toast960]

A lot of the Kinks' golden era of 66 to 71 could qualify as concept albums. Village Green, Arthur, Lola vs Powerman,, and Muswell Hillbillies are all fantastic concept albums.

[@chiefchimp2789]

Preservation Acts 1 and 2 are not for everyone but I adore The Kinks so, in my opinion, that is an excellent multi-album sprawling concept.

[@mrtyreus0]

The Kinks in general are highly underrated. So many riffs in their lesser known catalogue were lifted by other artists, many becoming hits.

[@Borgmatha1027]

2112 by Rush will forever be my favorite concept album.

[@FlyoverStatePark]

I love how Side A is a heavy dystopian story and Side B has a song about weed.

[@matthewklein660]

It's not really a concept album. It has one song on side A and then side B has nothing to do with it, nor the songs with each other. Rush has said their first concept album was Clockwork Angels.

[@PacoPirate125]

@@matthewklein660 so woule Abbey Road not technically be a concept album only half?

[@matthewklein660]

@@PacoPirate125 I never considered Abbey Road a concept album. It's just an album where half of the 2nd side is a big medley. The songs have nothing to do with one another. It's not even close to a concept album.

[@badbeardbill9956]

Yeah 2112 isn’t a concept album lol. Even Hemispheres isn’t despite having a somewhat similar structure

[@hipstereagle6050]

I’ve listened to Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 4 times this year and it’s incredible. I can’t get enough of it

[@MSmith-Photography]

Give the live version on Genesis Archive 1967-1975 a listen. You'll love it.

[@timeheist5312]

W

[@GiI11]

You'll listen to it about 100 times until you start getting a good picture of Rael's ordeal.

[@hipstereagle6050]

@@GiI11 I cheated and looked up what happened to Rael and it was still hard to follow 😂

[@daddythomas1389]

I would have to say Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick is my favorite. Released in 1972, thanks to my older sister, I got to listen to it endlessly back then. Being a 9 year old kid, I got an early taste of prog rock!!

[@italyball2166]

And the funny thing is they released it to "mock those who considered Aqualung a concept album"

[@daddythomas1389]

@@italyball2166 You are totally right!! I had completely forgot about that!! Thx!!

[@sprunglesalad6170]

The poet and the painter section is absolutely brilliant

[@catzenbeurg]

As far as prog goes, my favourites gotta be The Mars Volta's De-Loused in the Comatorium & Frances the Mute. Two incredible story-based albums, especially the latter, telling the story of a drug dealer trying to find out what happened to his mother. Both absolutely mind-blowing.

[@andyfeck8760]

I was waiting for him to say tmv and then he didn’t 🥲

[@josephfurey4820]

Bedlam in Goliath had an amazing concept as well…it horrified me as a child but I loved it

[@TheLazer3]

Clockwork Angles by Rush. One of my favourite albums ever. I saw them live on that tour. It is one of my favourite memories.

[@ikepigott]

I love hearing the stories from backstage, where the string ensemble said they were respected and treated like full members of the band.

[@MsEmpregetes]

Also 2112! I feel like they missed out on a Rush mention

[@badbeardbill9956]

Clockwork Angels has an accompanying book lol

[@lakrids-pibe]

Lloyd Webber's *Jesus Christ Superstar* was a concept (double) album before it was a rock musical on the stage and screen. Lloyd Webber's later musicals crystallized into a "musical sound", but the first one was made with contemporary session musicians and has a more "rocky" sound. Try listen to Murray Head's take on "Heaven on Their Minds"

[@ccings27]

i was hoping to see this ! i did the stage production, but really really fell in love with the original album !

[@johnroznovsky212]

An early concept album is Days of Future Passed walking us through a day. Every song linked to a part of the day

[@RockandRollWoman]

Moody Blues, for those who don't know.

[@marianourcaray8096]

He forgot that one. I was expecting it to be mentioned.

[@unigryph]

My favourite group of all time!

[@mistymcclure21]

A recent concept album I’m obsessed with is The Lumineers’s “III” which tells the story of 3 generations of a family dealing with addiction. And they filmed cinematic music videos for them like a feature film.

[@hydro0759]

Ayreon is also a fantastic prog band who, like coheed and cambria, have a running sci-fi theme through some of their albums, as well as a few more grounded albums with their own concepts.

[@christophersleep6821]

Almost every Modest Mouse is album is a concept album. Lonesome Crowded West is probably the most complete example but my personal favourite is We Were Dead, where this kind of nautical existentialism is implied in every track in a way that really ties the whole thing together despite different subjects in each song.

[@isaiahvoss]

Concept albums that gets mentioned a lot are Pink Floyd's The Wall, Nine Inch Nails: The Downward Spiral and Green Day's American Idiot as well as Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. A story matters in the song but it's what they're about that attracts us as the listener/audience.

[@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245]

Kanye west is just an edgy mid version of Drake

[@chrisbarnette7137]

​@@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245 Drake is horrible and steals others kaydence and flow as well as music. He was a kids some opera star who people over hype .. way too much.

[@thirdhandlv4231]

Yeah but... Sgt pepper is just a billion trillion galaxies ahead of em.

[@poindextertunes]

@@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245 good god i hope this is satire

[@isaiahvoss]

​@@thirdhandlv4231 I know it does. That's why many people love that album.

[@lampyridae3280]

Days of future passed by the moody blues is always missed in this conversation.

[@daudder]

The concept behind Sgt Pepper was that the Beatles were not the Beatles, playing a kaleidoscope of styles, sounds and experiences.

[@thequester7634]

Kudos for mentioning Zappa & The Mothers, as I think some of my favourite concept albums would be by them. There's "We're Only In It For The Money" from 1968 which is a biting satire of the psychedelic rock movement. It was also a huge milestone in the history of the concept album as there was never before an album that was so cohesive and so flowing as it. There's also "Uncle Meat" which served as the soundtrack to an imaginary film, but also served as a holistic and sardonic celebration of The Mothers' career. Showcasing the many different aspects of The Mothers' music, from art rock, to jazz rock, to free jazz, to doo-wop, to musique concrete, to charming and well paced skits, and more. Also, there's an album by "Camel" called "The Snow Goose," which brilliantly tells a haunting and emotional tale through pure instrumentals alone.

[@sprunglesalad6170]

Can't forget Joe's Garage, probably the most straightforward but also batshit insane of Frank's discography (I'm looking at you, gay robot sex ballad)

[@sh9019]

Been watching for awhile, your graphics and aesthetics are looking SUPER clean here well done

[@JStratfordFilms]

My favorite is Twenty One Pilots’ ‘TRENCH’ which continues the story into ‘SCALED AND ICY’ through music videos, hidden websites with clues, and secret messages in the music.

[@soundsonic2754]

It really starts with blurryface in 2015, they have kept the whole story up even in tours

[@theaceguitarist]

You could also say Vessel and even their Self-Titled album were retroactively made a part of the Dema storyline

[@JStratfordFilms]

@@theaceguitarist That's true! Especially the references to A Car, A Torch, A Death. It's as if Tyler has been thinking up this world for a really long time.

[@daelen.cclark]

Don’t ya love it when a medium is declared to be dead because of newer tech? As a comic fan, I feel satisfaction when it’s proven wrong.

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

I think it was Rick Wakeman who confessed that a lot of double albums (including ones he worked on) had a sides worth of 'filler' because of the format creating space that had to be filled with something. He was defending the CD as liberating as you could create a more cohesive piece and not worry about the format induced breaks of making 2 or 4 approx. 20 minute acts.

[@fernandomiranda3966]

I swear man, everytime you upload a video I discover a new song that I love. Thank you! Wounderful stuff

[@georgeshaw8925]

Congratulations on 1 million subs. You deserve it. Great channel, love your videos, stories and narrations.

[@webz3589]

No love for jeff waynes war of the worlds? Surely one of the greatest concept albums ever.

[@GraveyardKing]

Ahhh what a masterpiece that is!

[@unigryph]

A fantastic concept album. Justin Hayward's voice in 'Forever Autumn' is a masterstroke of genius.

[@ang3lstardust]

I remember working on my concept EP/album this past year. My concept mostly are about a person becoming isolated from society, becoming mentally deranged, and learning about the theme of self-discovery. It's called The Chronicles of Problems with Internal Consciousness, if you want to check it out. I was really inspired by The Wall, The Black Parade, Pure Comedy (by Father John Misty), American Idiot, and Dark Side of The Moon.

[@mello.felipe]

Very interesting! Just started to listen here

[@ansith27]

Loved all of the concept albums you were able to get to in this video fwiw! (Especially as a big Coheed fan)

[@plasator3707]

Legitamently, when some of the albums were mentioned I cheered! plus I think this is such a great video, Polyphonic, you deserve the 1M subs.

[@Tintinstan7678]

Mary robins NEEDS to talked about more when we talk about music history, he changed so much…

[@garanceadrosehn9691]

I suspect you meant Marty Robbins?

[@keatonwiththatheatson]

To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn’t have too much to say

[@wozaow]

​@@keatonwiththatheatsonNo one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip

[@macsnafu]

@@garanceadrosehn9691 Yeah, I was going to say who the heck is Mary Robins?

[@xAngelsOfHellx]

One of the first concept albums imo is Nirvana (UK 60's band) - The Story of Simon Simopath. It tells the story of a boy who travels into space and various fantasy realms, though it is also implied that the boy is insane and escaping mentally into another world.

[@blocktoob]

Love the style, theme and atmosphere of your videos

[@JulianDoe]

I've always been a huge fan of concept albums, but your video really helped me to understand them on a deeper level. I learned a ton about the history of this genre, and I also discovered some new albums that I'm excited to listen to! I especially appreciated the way you highlighted some of the most important concept albums from the past years. It was really cool to see how this has evolved over time. I also thought your video was really well-made. The editing was great, and the information was presented in a clear and concise way. Thanks again for making such a great video! I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about concept albums

[@jessespencer7333]

Love the inclusion of Drive-By Truckers “Southern Rock Opera”. That’s one of the best concept albums ever in my opinion. They keep the songs as simple Hard/Southern Rock all while being this complex concept album. Also, it is the only album I know of written completely about another band and kids growing up, in that area, at that time’s experience with them.

[@georginatoland]

I had the opportunity to see the band do this one live, on a small stage, in the back of a Mexican restaurant in Austin, Texas. It did not disappoint. ❤

[@JohaDahlgaard]

One really cool concept album, and a personal favourite of mine, is Mother Earth’s Plantasia. It’s just such a cute little electronic album made entirely with a Moog synth. I highly recommend it if you’re into synths. To quote the cover itself: “Warm earth music for plants and people who love them.”

[@wallac11]

Amazing video. The Kinks Arthur is another amazing early Rock Opera. You covered a lot different aspect and genres of the concept album. Keep up the great work.

[@baylor._.c]

Electra Heart by MARINA is my favorite concept album. She was able to make an entire story for Electra Heart and tying some songs together with the archetypes was GENIUS

[@eloC311]

Serge Gainsbourg's "Histoire(s) de Melody Nelson" is a recent discovery due to Jane Birkin's recent passing. It's an absolute masterpiece.

[@emilyjane7027]

As well as "Splendor & Misery", Clipping also released the twin horror-themed albums "There Existed an Addiction to Blood" and "Visions of Bodies Being Burned", where each track is like its own mini horror movie. They run the gamut of horror genres: psychological on "Check the Lock", Saw-esque torture porn on "The Show", found footage on "She Bad", even Lovecraftian cosmic horror on "Enlacing". But they approach all of these styles from fresh and unique angles. "Visions..." in particular might honestly be my favourite rap record this century.

[@benthadragon]

Dawg you have no idea how much I LOVE concept albums, thank you for making another banger

[@theriguyayylmao3761]

Glad to see a video on concept albums. If you do a follow up would love to see you include more examples from R&B, jazz, and metal. Metal especially has tons of concept albums, bands like Mastodon, TesseracT, Dark Throne, Behemoth, Archspire, and so many others are well known for having their albums tell full narrative stories and it’s really great

[@snd47flyer]

I wouldn’t say billy corgan is wrong. Artists make concept albums but most people just listen to the hits

[@Jane_8319]

One of my favorite concept albums that you didn’t mention is the truly bizarre *Everywhere At The End of Time* by The Caretaker. Haunting.

[@Tycry]

Love the Zappa/Mothers shout out!!! I would love to see more content about that genius. Love your stuff, keep it up ❤

[@jasonlandry8685]

I'm so glad to see you have mentioned two of my favorite bands that are seldom heard of in the music world as talented creators and performers: Porcupine Tree and Coheed & Cambria. Thanks for bringing them to light

[@dillpi8866]

has only been out for a little over a year but Ants From Up There by Black Country, New Road is a masterpiece and I truly believe will go down in history as one of the best concept albums of all time

[@honeycomblord9384]

What's the story of the album?

[@brucelectro2761]

@@honeycomblord9384 It’s about a man unraveling the layers of manipulation and toxicity in a relationship he was really invested in. The album is fantastic.

[@unrealistic5462]

Absolutely, AFUT is such a beautiful and gut wrenching masterpiece.

[@stevelanemusic4463]

Wow Noah, you really outdid yourself here. This is excellent. Very well done yet again.

[@pashadwantara]

I really love your videos, man. Keep it up!

[@fluidikons]

A most excellent video. Extra points for when you talk about ones you havent mentioned with photos of some of my favorites like of montreal. Another I would add to the list is the Trials of Vanoccupanther by Midlake

[@helenaa4683]

Two of my favorite concept albums are Kate Bush's Hounds Of Love and Never For Ever. I think she's a master at storytelling.

[@vezokpiraka]

Mentioning Coheed and Cambria instead of Rhapsody of Fire stings. They have put out only concept albums since their start and combined the perfect metal genre for storytelling with it. Another good mention is Blind Guardian. They have put out one concept album called Beyond the Red Mirror which continues the story of an earlier trio of songs. The catch is that the world for this concept album is a place of stories and almost every Blind Guardian song is about some story (where their nickname as Bards comes from). And you can go on an insane journey finding out how every single they've ever put out actually ties in to the story of the concept album. It's frankly incredible how many connections people have been able to link to this album. There's a forum thread where it feels like you're reading some sort of great conspiracy seeing how every song ties in the story. And like some songs are obvious, while others are so obscure and hard to piece to together, but when you do, it becomes pretty obvious they have a part in the story. I have never been more blown away by a band then when I found this out. The band itself has never said anything about this which is even more wild. Like how insane it is to reveal after 25 years that your entire catalogue is not random songs, but actually all parts of a much much bigger story.

[@jamesallard7223]

While not an entire album, there is a song cycle in what became a single, "Like To Get To Know You" by Spanky & Our Gang. When you hear the original piece, it runs for several minutes, and there is an odd but sweet story being told.

[@platonicdescartes]

Disappointed that you went all in on The Beatles and The Who without mentioning the iconic concept album from '67, The Moody Blues "Days of Future Passed". My favorite prog bands from the 70's site that album far more than The Who for their influences.

[@jooree7696]

Technically the first rock opera is "The Story Of Simon Simopath" in 1967. It was made by a small band called Nirvana (not the Cobain one) and it featured a fantasy/ sci-fi story

[@joosepkaha1687]

Cool stuff as always. Greetings from Estonia!

[@DannyLyriCa]

This is absolutely Powerful. Thank you for your work on this.

[@origamibyameer6719]

No mention of The Kinks’ many many early concept albums and rock operas?? From ‘68 to ‘71 is a four run streak of distinct and unique concept albums. Their finest work.

[@chiefchimp2789]

I found that puzzling too. One might even say that starting with "Face to Face" up until "Schoolboys in Disgrace" were all concept albums.

[@Ngasii]

Liked the video before even watching it. I LOVE concept albums❤

[@mbgrafix]

The Alan Parsons Project were unmatched in their accomplishments regarding the concept album, as that genre essentially defined their existence, beginning with the Edgar Alan Poe concept album, Tales Of Mystery And Imagination, which was released on May 20th, 1976. This was followed with the July 8th, 1977 release of the album, "I Robot", which followed the concept of author Isaac Asimov's science fiction Robot stories, which explored philosophical themes on Artificial Intelligence. The Alan Parsons Project continued on after this releasing even more outstanding concept albums that are well worth exploring.

[@TheGratefulDeadhead]

One of my favorite concept albums is in the classical genre. The Kronos Quartet working with David Krakauer and the composer Osvaldo Golijov made an album called "The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind". Which is about the visions of the kabbalah scholar Isaac the Blind. It's completely instrumental and I love it.

[@FarewellApollo]

Moody Blues definitely deserves a shoutout for their entire discography being concept albums. Quadrophenia and American Idiot will always hold a special place in my heart from my teenage years. Gotta shoutout Good Kid Maad City of course. Pink Floyd's Dark Side, the Wall, and even to a lesser extent Animals as well. Silversun Pickup's album Swoon is a loose concept album about having an anxiety attack but you wouldn't really notice until later cuz the songs are so great that they stand on their own. I can't help but hear OK Computer as a concept album about the modern world and struggling to find one's place within the system, becoming disenfranchised with everything around you. Thrice's the Alchemy Index is definitely up there. Each side is about a different element (Fire, Water, Air, Earth) exploring different genres and musical styles for each element, and every closer using the same rhythmic rhyming cadence while personifying each element as the narrator of the song. Absolutely brilliant.

[@juliank.183]

Porcupine Trees Fear of a blank planet is a prophetic look into the dangers of the digital age numbing younger generations. I was happy to see you mention PT as I believe their iconic 3 Album run during the 2000s is one of the best examples of concept records in the modern day.

[@ryanstoerger5432]

Liking a Poly video during the ads since I already know it’s going to be top quality 😄😌

[@davidkozak9289]

I think one glaring omission is Janet Jackson’s albums “Control”, “Rhythm Nation 1814”, and most notably “The Velvet Rope”, which really influenced the sound structure of future releases of both alt/R&B and pop records going forward, especially in a time when singles and music videos were pushed heavily to the forefront, there was an intense focus on central theme for each project that connected the music, videos, and touring material, which trickled its way into pretty much every act we see today

[@jacobsanchez6924]

While they have a few concept albums, I think King Gizzard’s Murder of the Universe is an interesting take on a concept album. They present the story in an interesting way. Didn’t get it much at first, but I think it has my favorite instrumentation by the band.

[@Odddit]

Eyes like the sky is also great

[@demadontcontrolus2333]

king gizzard and the lizard wizard?! they literally have so much lore behind their music and so many different concept albums with different genres and sounds

[@lukeoregan7440]

One of my favorite modern concept album the Lemon Twigs' Go To School. Great album start to finish

[@bigbeecole]

Always love a good Coheed shout-out.

[@CruikshankSCP]

Concept albums are without a doubt the coolest thing to ever happen in the music industry. Just the idea of telling a story through a number of songs is simply genius. My favorite concept albums have to be: Mastodon's "Leviathan", "Blood Mountain" and "Crack the Skye" Avenged Sevenfold's "The Stage" The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" Against Me's "Transgender Dysphoria Blues" Black Veil Brides' "Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones" The Eagles' "Hotel California" Green Day's "American Idiot" and "21st Century Breakdown" Jethro Tull's "Thick as a Brick" The Mars Volta's "De-Loused in the Comatorium" Nightwish's "Imaginaerum" Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall" Shinedown's "Attention Attention" and "Planet Zero" Thirty Seconds to Mars' "This Is War"

[@Blockoumi]

@@Urmom-ct5my "Even Pink Floyd... These are collections of songs, not concept albums. Albums in general are a severely outdated format and none of these idiots did anything more than try to slew a bunch of SONGS together. Which to give credit, it almost an art, but not quite..." you are far too uneducated to say anything you've just said. One look at the conception/creation of these albums will prove you wrong. maybe this is bait but this is by far one of the most ignorant things you can say about music and art as a whole

[@CruikshankSCP]

@Ur mom "This Is War" is about 30 Seconds to Mars' legal battle against their label at the time Virgin Records and how they are warning other bands to be careful when they sign record deals. The opening lyrics to the title track: "A warning to the people, the good and the evil, this is war" they are basically raising the red flag on the music industry's shady deals Pink Floyd's albums are concepts. "The Wall" is about a depressed rock star who completely blocks himself from the outside world by making a figurative wall. "Wish You Were Here" is about alienation and criticism of the music industry. "Animals" is about the social-political conditions in Great Britain during the mid-70s with the album itself being based on George Orwell's book "Animal Farm." "The Final Cut" is an anti-war concept album about what bassist Roger Waters considers a betrayal of British soldiers, especially his father, when they died during World War II May I go on?

[@douglasstruthers8307]

Elton John's 1975 CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY. Cohesive, beautifully produced and the EJ Band was firing on all cylinders.

[@chandlerw.dukesii.8097]

Polyphonic you’re work is always nothing short of amazing, minus the skeletons and skeletal images that creep me out a little but everything else is awesome and incredible. You’ve done awesome work on Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” that took me to a place, but I would love to see what kind of work you would do on Anita Baker, “Sweet Love” especially the “Rapture” album (1986) I think you would do amazing work on covering the story behind that song, it has a whole different kind of narrative to it. Minus the skeletons lol.

[@drnoir33]

As always, thank you for a terrific video. When we first locked down in March 2020, and we began to home school, I taught a history of rock and roll class to my young daughters, sometimes using your videos as teaching tools. One "band" whose entire output was concept albums was The Alan Parsons Project. Having engineered DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, brilliant albums like I ROBOT, EVE and THE TURN OF A PERFECT CARD should be no surprise. Bruce Springsteen's BORN TO RUN has been described as taking place over one endless summer night, and your video on DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN notes the unifying theme of nights on the fringes of the city; one could add THE RIVER and NEBRASKA as well. The Tubes worked with Todd Rundgren (who grew up one town east from me) in 1979 to produce the weirdly overlooked REMOTE CONTROL, an entire album about the nefarious impact of televsion. Joe Jackson also had a penchant for thematic albums, most notably with 1982's NIGHT AND DAY, iterally divided into "night" and "day" sides, and the also-overlooked HEAVEN AND HELL (1997), a richly-orchestrated and very modern take on the seven deadly sins. Thank you for reading this, and I look forward to your next video.

[@silversam]

I always thought of Public Enemy's Nation of Millions, Fear of a Black Planet, and Apocalypse 91 as concept albums - each engaging a facet of their political message and each exploring a singular sonic approach. Fair to say they were my intro to concept albums.

[@kevinmcqueenie7420]

This is just a question as the album had a huge impact on me as a child, but Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds. Is it a concept album, a soundtrack, a musical, a rock opera? I literally don't know, but the double cassette of that got me through many a boring car journey, gave me a lot of weird dreams and inspired my love of Sci-Fi! Interested how people would classify it!

[@jamesrafferty6545]

I wrote a half and half concept album, Candle Opera, splitting it between a concept connecting separate stories and one half being a continuous story! It was really cool to watch this video and see many of the bands and albums that inspire me!

[@vhcisternas]

Fantastic essay. Many new albums for my "to listen" list.

[@jesseasbury2612]

I think almost every album King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have done could be classified as a concept album. Especially Murder of the Universe.

[@cagevice]

I really appreciate your videos and usually agree with facts you cite, so pardon my quibble, but I wouldn’t say that 2008 was the “beginning of the iPod era”; I’d say that it’s more like 2002 since the first iPod was released at the end of 2001 and THAT was a bit after digital music file sharing had already started to change the way some acquired and listened to music on their computers and on pre-Apple MP3 players (with the first portable MP3 player arriving in 1997.)

[@fran98832]

Great video Polyphonic. My favorite concept album has to be ELO's Time - the tale of a man that gets sent into the future and is meant to adapt in there

[@IgnatiusAlpha]

Shout-out for mentioning De La Soul. My favorite hip-hop group of all-time. Their first three albums with Prince Paul are essential listening. I also took notes of a bunch of other albums I need to listen to. And no, the album isn't dying. Not only has vinyl seen a huge resurgence, but CDs are gaining traction again as well. The more people that are seeing the limitations of digital distribution, the more important preservation of physical media becomes.

[@chrisgenovese8188]

I love concept albums. Recently my favorite one has been "The Hazards of Love" by The Decemberists.

[@FlyoverStatePark]

That one is SO GOOD! I could not believe how well they landed that concept.

[@jojoisgood8094]

Lou Reed’s Berlin is personally my favorite concept album

[@matthewblair2301]

My favourite concept albums is Trench and Scaled and Icy as concept albums that tell the story about Dema and how they create the world through their music, their music videos and websites which allows them to tell the story to its full potential! I am so excited for the last album in the Dema storyline because I truly believe it will be their magnum opus

[@mradam9872]

What a beautiful video man

[@FlyoverStatePark]

You mentioned Queensryche, but I HAVE to emphasize how good of a concept album "Operation: Mindcrime" is. I've covered over 150 concept albums on my podcast and Operation: Mindcrime is tight, well executed, and leaves you with just enough to wonder about.

[@key2theuniverse713]

It's such a powerful and great album. The 80s had some incredible concept albums, but the range of emotion Mindcrime makes you feel is almost unmatched. And I say almost because I'd argue Dream Theaters Metropolis Pt 2 is the only concept album I've heard that does it better.

[@bradical7772]

What’s your podcast name?

[@louisduarte8763]

What was the concept Album Iron Maiden released at the time?

[@acoolduckinabanana7274]

@@louisduarte8763 seventh son of a seventh son

[@FlyoverStatePark]

@@bradical7772 The Album Concept Hour (available-wherever-you-listen-to-podcasts)