20 albums that made the biggest impact on music history

He wasn’t referred to as the King of Pop for no reason. When Michael Jackson released Thriller, all of pop music changed. He inspired countless musicians and helped bridge the gap between what were considered fringe genres at the time and popular music. 

Pink Floyd’s iconic album The Dark Side of the Moon is well-known for its cover art, but its true influence is in its sound. Pink Floyd got very experimental, and their boldness made it possible for other artists to do the same moving forward. 

When Dr. Dre released The Chronic, hip-hop was still in a relatively nascent stage. The album proved that the genre had mass commercial appeal and that it could incorporate as many sounds as it wanted. 

The Beach Boys have had an undeniable influence on music, and Pet Sounds is a prime example of that. The group created beautiful songs, like “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows," that influenced others who have had major influence, like The Beatles and Bob Dylan.  

You know you’re influential when you changed music with your debut (and only) solo album. Some people consider The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill to be the greatest album of all time. Whether that appellation is warranted is debatable, but the record undoubtedly paved the way for other genius women in music.  

Some might say hip hop wouldn’t exist without Run D.M.C. No, the group didn’t invent the genre, but it did show what the genre could be with its self-titled album becoming the first of the genre to go gold and by becoming the first hip hop act to appear on MTV. 

Burn bright, die young. Nevermind by Nirvana catapulted Kurt Cobain into rock icon status, and the album served as the conduit for bringing grunge music into a popularity it hadn’t previously had. 

Kanye West has written many influential albums, but 808s & Heartbreak brought more sonic and thematic elements into rap music than it had ever seen. Without this album, multiple mainstream rap artists of today might not exist. 

Sonically and thematically, What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye was inspirational and unexpected. The album is still cited as one of the most important pieces of art in the civil rights movement, and it serves as a paradigm for socially meaningful music. 

Brian Eno is still the most famous ambient musician of all time. His minimalist album Discreet Music showed other musicians a brand new world, and he inspired iconic album after iconic album after iconic album. 

Spice by The Spice Girls might not be the most groundbreaking album musically, but its ethos was more influential than any girl band in history. The album inspired legions of young women across the world and changed the music industry. 

The Beatles changed music history. Period. But if there’s one album that was perhaps more influential than any other, it was Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The record proved that pop music could be art. 

Long before Beyoncé was venturing into country music, Ray Charles was making the shift. With Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Ray Charles proved that artists don’t need to stay in one bubble. 

Songs for Swingin’ Lovers changed the course of Frank Sinatra’s music career, and in turn, it changed the course of pop music. The songs on this record are still pointed to when discussing Sinatra’s signature style. 

The Velvet Underground and Nico's eponymous album changed music by proving that rock can be artistic. It influenced countless artists, including David Bowie and the Banshees. 

No female country artist has sold as well as Shania Twain, not even Taylor Swift. Come On Over was massive and had fans from across genres coming together to rock out to the Canadian icon. 

Singer-songwriters are still underrated, but they wouldn’t have near the recognition they have today without Joni Mitchell. The legendary artist was as vulnerable as possible in Blue. As Emma Thompson put it in Love Actually, Mitchell taught people how to love. 

Some artists are afraid to take risks, but Miles Davis wasn’t. That was evident in Kind of Blue. The seminal album influenced artists of multiple genres, which is a massive feat. 

Aretha Franklin was a singular artist. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You had an influence on artists like none other. Without Franklin, there would be no Whitney Houston, there would be no Mariah Carey, there would be no Beyoncé … the list goes on. 

Genres are not made by one single person, but there’s a good argument to be made that R&B wouldn’t exist today without Stevie Wonder. At the very least, it would look totally different if it weren’t for Songs in the Key of Life.