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893 Essential Albums 1 - 49

893 Essential Albums

Welcome to this year's 893 Essential Albums of all time countdown! The year 2016 was the last time we compiled this list with your help, but so many powerful releases have come out in the intervening six years — albums that have pushed artistic boundaries and have flipped the script on the music industry.

Be sure to join us weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 pm. (CDT) as we present this fresh take on the 893 Essential Albums of all time, as voted by you. We'll keep the album list running here, and check the songs we've chosen at The Current's playlist page.

We couldn't do 893 Essential Artists and other adventurous programming like this without your support.

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  1. 1

    Prince: Let's Go Crazy

    Let's Go Crazy

    Purple Rain
    Prince

  2. 2

    Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit

    Smells Like Teen Spirit

    Nevermind
    Nirvana

  3. 3

    Joni Mitchell: River

    River

    Blue
    Joni Mitchell

  4. 4

    The Beatles: Come Together

    Come Together

    Abbey Road
    The Beatles

  5. 5

    The Clash: London Calling

    London Calling

    London Calling
    The Clash

  6. 6

    Fleetwood Mac: Go Your Own Way

    Go Your Own Way

    Rumours
    Fleetwood Mac

  7. 7

    David Bowie: Starman

    Starman

    The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
    David Bowie

  8. 8

    Aretha Franklin: Respect

    Respect

    I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
    Aretha Franklin

  9. 9

    U2: With Or Without You

    With Or Without You

    The Joshua Tree
    U2

  10. 10

    Miles Davis: So What

    So What

    Kind of Blue
    Miles Davis

  11. 11

    Pink Floyd: Money

    Money

    The Dark Side of the Moon
    Pink Floyd

  12. 12

    The Velvet Underground: Femme Fatale

    Femme Fatale

    The Velvet Underground & Nico
    The Velvet Underground

  13. 13

    Carole King: I Feel the Earth Move

    I Feel the Earth Move

    Tapestry
    Carole King

  14. 14

    The Replacements: I Will Dare

    I Will Dare

    Let It Be
    The Replacements

  15. 15

    The Rolling Stones: Tumbling Dice

    Tumbling Dice

    Exile on Main St.
    The Rolling Stones

  16. 16

    Bob Dylan: Tangled Up In Blue

    Tangled Up In Blue

    Blood on the Tracks
    Bob Dylan

  17. 17

    Led Zeppelin: Stairway to Heaven

    Stairway to Heaven

    Led Zeppelin IV
    Led Zeppelin

  18. 18

    Marvin Gaye: What's Going On

    What's Going On

    What's Going On
    Marvin Gaye

  19. 19

    Patti Smith: Gloria

    Gloria

    Horses
    Patti Smith

  20. 20

    Pearl Jam: Evenflow

    Evenflow

    Ten
    Pearl Jam

  21. 21

    Radiohead: Paranoid Android

    Paranoid Android

    OK Computer
    Radiohead

  22. 22

    Kendrick Lamar: King Kunta

    King Kunta

    To Pimp a Butterfly
    Kendrick Lamar

  23. 23

    Smashing Pumpkins: Today

    Today

    Siamese Dream
    Smashing Pumpkins

  24. 24

    Stevie Wonder: Sir Duke

    Sir Duke

    Songs in the Key of Life
    Stevie Wonder

  25. 25

    The Postal Service: Such Great Heights

    Such Great Heights

    Give Up
    The Postal Service

  26. 26

    The Beatles: While My Guitar Gently Weeps

    While My Guitar Gently Weeps

    The Beatles (The White Album)
    The Beatles

  27. 27

    Weezer: Undone - The Sweater Song

    Undone - The Sweater Song

    Weezer (The Blue Album)
    Weezer

  28. 28

    Liz Phair: Never Said

    Never Said

    Exile in Guyville
    Liz Phair

  29. 29

    Bob Dylan: Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat

    Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat

    Blonde on Blonde
    Bob Dylan

  30. 30

    Bruce Springsteen: Born to Run

    Born to Run

    Born to Run
    Bruce Springsteen

  31. 31

    Jimi Hendrix Experience: Hey Joe

    Hey Joe

    Are You Experienced
    Jimi Hendrix Experience

  32. 32

    Paul Simon: Graceland

    Graceland

    Graceland
    Paul Simon

  33. 33

    R.E.M.: Talk About The Passion

    Talk About The Passion

    Murmur
    R.E.M.

  34. 34

    The Replacements: Left of the Dial

    Left of the Dial

    Tim
    The Replacements

  35. 35

    The Rolling Stones: Gimme Shelter

    Gimme Shelter

    Let It Bleed
    The Rolling Stones

  36. 36

    Tom Petty: You Don't Know How it Feels

    You Don't Know How it Feels

    Wildflowers
    Tom Petty

  37. 37

    Wilco: Heavy Metal Drummer

    Heavy Metal Drummer

    Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
    Wilco

  38. 38

    The Beatles: Eleanor Rigby

    Eleanor Rigby

    Revolver
    The Beatles

  39. 39

    Tori Amos: Silent All These Years

    Silent All These Years

    Little Earthquakes
    Tori Amos

  40. 40

    OutKast: Hey Ya!

    Hey Ya!

    Speakerboxxx / The Love Below
    OutKast

  41. 41

    Bob Dylan: Like a Rolling Stone

    Like a Rolling Stone

    Highway 61 Revisited
    Bob Dylan

  42. 42

    Elvis Costello: Watching the Detectives

    Watching the Detectives

    My Aim Is True
    Elvis Costello

  43. 43

    Guns N' Roses: Welcome to the Jungle

    Welcome to the Jungle

    Appetite for Destruction
    Guns N' Roses

  44. 44

    Johnny Cash: Folsom Prison Blues

    Folsom Prison Blues

    At Folsom Prison
    Johnny Cash

  45. 45

    Led Zeppelin: Over the Hills and Far Away

    Over the Hills and Far Away

    Houses of the Holy
    Led Zeppelin

  46. 46

    Lauryn Hill: Everything Is Everything

    Everything Is Everything

    The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
    Lauryn Hill

  47. 47

    Neil Young: Heart of Gold

    Heart of Gold

    Harvest
    Neil Young

  48. 48

    The Beach Boys: Wouldn't It Be Nice

    Wouldn't It Be Nice

    Pet Sounds
    The Beach Boys

  49. 49

    The Beatles: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

    Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

    Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
    The Beatles