A few posts ago, I asked what films could be characterized as “generation-defining” … like Star Wars, The Matrix, and perhaps now, Napoleon Dynamite.

After chatting with my longtime friend Gary Scott (church elder, moviegoer, frequent commentor) and new friend Luke Brodine (musician, ministry pioneer, U2 fan) at church, it was clear that I had to come back and expand the question.

What albums would you consider “generation-defining”?

In my lifetime, it seems like some of the most prominent albums as far as influence have been Michael Jackson’s Thriller, U2’s The Joshua Tree, and, more recently, perhaps Moby’s Play. No, I’m not saying these are the GREATEST albums (well, in U2’s case, yes), but in terms of the way they’ve influenced major changes in the musical landscape, and both reflected and revised the thinking of up-and-coming generations. I include Moby’s Play because it was huge on the radio, it became the foundation of several television commercials, and it brought sampling to a bigger platform than ever before.

I’m also tempted to pick something from Beck… I suppose it would have to be Odelay.

I’m sure the Beatles belong here, but which album most affected a generation? Sgt. Pepper‘s? The White album?

Looking at today, yesterday, and the last few decades, what would you classify as “generation-defining” albums?

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