Rolling Stone recently released a list of the 50 Best Concept Albums of All Time. A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. The criteria for what can be considered a “concept album” isn’t specified, but it’s typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical.

What Rolling Stone considers the best concept albums varies across genres and eras. The list includes classics like Styx’s Kilroy Was Here and Pink Floyd’s The Wall. Some newer albums that made the list are Janelle Monae’s The ArchAndroid and Jazmine Sullivan’s Heaux Tales. Check out the list and see if your favorite thematic album made the ranking. For today’s 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs from concept albums do you want to hear?

Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

Have an idea for a Coffee Break topic? Submit your idea for a future theme and browse past Coffee Breaks in our archive.

Songs Played:
Liz Phair – Never Said
Hüsker Dü– Never Talking To You Again
Marvin Gaye – Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
The Hold Steady – Your Little Hoodrat Friend
The Magnetic Fields – I Think I Need a New Heart
Janelle Monae – Cold War