I'm asking for trouble...

[redsock]

But reading Pitchfork's 70's list has reignited my need to fill in the gaping holes in my musical collection. I humbly admit i only started to like 'good' music in the past 5-6 years. Which leaves a lot of classics from the 70s and 80 missing. I'm thinking of doing the BMG approach and snagging 20-30 CDs for the price of 3 plus shipping and hamdling.
 
 Anyway, minus the obvious Beatles, Zepplin, etc... Can I get some lists for essentials from those decades? I'm not a huge punk fan, though I do love the Clash, so let that be your guide.

[sonickteam2]

buy ALL of the Who's CDs.  all of them
 
 
  then, for 70s, i have always liked  Foriegner and Toto, and some good Rush too.
 
  Thin Lizzy is good as well  

[Venerable Bede]

genesis- lamb lies down on broadway and nursery cryme
 
 boston- boston
 
 everything put out by the cars
 
 i'll let others list the punk stuff. . .

[suckapunch]

Basically everything by the Talking Heads, especially Remain in Light, and everything by Neil Young, especially On The Beach.  
 
 Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom
 Joni Mitchell - Blue
 Can - Future Days and Tago Mago
 Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
 Velvet Underground - Loaded
 
 and many many more of course.  but those are my tops.

[godsshoeshine]

some stuff that comes to mind:
 minutemen--double nickels on the dime, three way tie for last
 dinosaur jr--you're living all over me, bug
 neil young--everybody knows this is nowhere, rust never sleeps
 replacements--let it be (can't get more essential than that)

[Random Citizen]

Marquee Moon -- Television
 Horses -- Patti Smith

[joz]

I second the Patti Smith suggestion but would consider Easter or Wave in addition to Horses.  Also, I really can't say enough good things about Harry Nilsson; Nilsson Schmilsson or Son of Schmilsson would be good first buys.  Neil Young's After the Gold Rush is one of my all time faves.  I'd also buy some Elvis Costello (probably My Aim is True) and Talking Heads (Fear of Music is my personal pick). And no matter your opinion of the Beach Boys, if you don't have Pet Sounds already, you should pick that one up too (I know you're looking for 70s/80s but I think it's a must-own disc).

[vansmack]

Good stuff listed so far and I think the Pitchfork list is fairly solid thus far as well.  A couple of my favorite summer albums are 70s albums.
 
 I can't remember the last summer that I didn't have Lynard Skynard "One ^More From the Road" or Steve Miller Bands Greatest Hits 1974-1978 in my shuffle.
 
 A couple other obvious ones are Fleetwood Macs "Rumors" or the self titled album.  Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" has withstood the test of time.
 
 The Specials first US release was late 70s.  They're a must for any Ska fan.
 
 An obscure but great Folk/Country Album from the 70's is John Stewarts "The Complete Phoenix Concerts" - think of a Johnny Cash with better songwriting (if you could imagine that).
 
 And throw an early Journey or Styx album in for good measure (and just to humor me).
 
 A for the punk, start with Television and the obvious ones are the Pistols Ramones and the Clash, but don't overlook the Buzzcocks, the Damned, X, Stiff Little Fingers or The Germs.  Oh, and the Jam too.  A great Trio.

[bearman🐻]

I would highly recommend:
 
 from the 70's:
 1) The Buzzcocks -- Singles Going Steady (a punk band that essentially played pop songs)
 2) The B-52's -- The B-52's (classic new wave)
 3) Joy Division -- Unknown Pleasuers (not as depressing as everyone says, but darker post-punk for dark winter days)
 4) The Stooges -- Raw Power (easily one of my top 5 favorite records...so advanced that it wipes the floor even today with anything being released)
 5) Kraftwerk -- The Model (one of the more immediate records by Kraftwerk...their others take more time to appreciate. And the remastered version is coming out on Astralwerks)
 
 from the 80's
 1) The Smiths -- The Queen is Dead (utterly perfect record...not a wasted note)
 2) Husker Du -- Warehouse: Songs and Stories (if you're not a huge punk fan, I think this record will be the best for your tastes...I think it's highly underrated. It's a falling in-and-out of love kind of record that got me through some REALLY tough times in my life)
 3) The Pixies -- Doolittle (if you haven't already clued in, some of us think this is the greatest band like EVER. This is one record I could never live without)
 4) New Order -- Substance (no other rock band has successfully integrated dance/club music with rock/new wave like New Order did in the 80's, this is the ultimate)
 5) The Pretenders -- Pretenders (you don't have to like punk rock to like this record. Simply put, one of the finest hours of any rock band around. A must-have for any record collection)

Buy everything in the "D" section.

[chaz]

Love - Forever Changes - 60's
 Husker Du - Zen Arcade - 80's
 Everything by the Replacements - 80's
 Velvet Underground and Nico - 60's (i don't ever remember being so blown away by something as the first time my 15 year old ears heard this)
 Jesus Mary Chain -  Psychocandy - 80's
 Big Star -  #1 Record/Radio City - 70's
 Modern Lovers -  self titled - 70's
 Zombies - Odessy and Oracle - 60's
 Roky Ericson and the Aliens - The Evil One - 70's
 
 These are all pretty much essential listening to me....I love all these records

[redsock]

Wow, some good stuff. Perhaps i overplayed my musical vagueness though (I do run BigYawn afterall). I mean, Pixies, husker Du, joy division, love, smiths etc... I'm already on and have been... but a lot of the bands mentioned I just never really knew what albums to buy. Awesome, keep 'em coming.
 
 Oh, and Smackie, Journey is already covered.  

[ggw]

The first four Black Sabbath albums.
 
 That is all.

[Bombay Chutney]

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
 
 minutemen--double nickels on the dime

a fine selection.  in fact - that's what's playing in my office as I type.

[mankie]

Strange as it may seem, going from the stuff they produce these days but try;
 
 Rod Stewart, "Every picture tells a story" or "Atlantic crossing"
 
 Elton John, "Captain Fantastic and the brown dirt cowboy"
 
 Other's from mankies archives.
 
 Bowie "Ziggy Stardust" "Space Oddity" "Hunky Dory" "Man who sold the world" "Heroes"
 
 Neil Young, "After the gold rush"
 
 Roxy Music, "Stranded"
 
 Japan, "Tin Drum" "Quiet Life"
 
 Waterboys "This is the sea"
 
 Ian Dury "New boots and panties"
 
 Joe Jackson "Look sharp"