Since many do not feel choosing the top ten albums is a legitimate exercise in educating ourselves concerning good music, and I agree, perhaps a better thread would be to list five to ten albums that "turned rock" into a new direction. For example, since the origins of rock and roll with Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Elvis, we moved into a "folk infused rock" by Dylan, a rapid evolution in experimental rock by the Beatles, "blues rock" by the Stones, "southern rock" by the Allman Brothers, etc. What albums do you think redirected the course of rock music? What is the name of the album, by whom, and what genre of rock did it introduce into the evolutionary process? Since it is 1am I am in no condition to offer my choices today, but tomorrow will be a new day!

Cool thread, Rev. The thing was that there were BASICALLY NO seminal albums released in the '50s. There were awesome songs which were later conglomerated into LPs, but the '60s were the true heydey of album music. Dylan, Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Who, Beach Boys, Cream, Allman Bros., CCR, etc. led to Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Doors, Velvet Underground, etc.

In the grand evolution of things, I believe that Steppenwolf Live blew my mind, especially when I learned it was a studio album.

I am sure this does not do justice to all the albums that altered the course of rock, or that they are even in the right order; but they are albums that caused me to listen differently and altered my tastes.
1.Revolver "The Beatles" was the first album I remember leaving me amazed at the new sounds introduced into rock and roll. Of course, almost every Beatle album from that point forward was evolutionary for them as a band.
2. Let It Bleed "The Rolling Stones". Though other Stones albums introduced a raw sexuality and the sound of blues into rock, this one did it exceptionally well for me.
3. Stand "Sly and the Family Stone". The fusion of rock and funk! Fantastic!
4. Eat a Peach "The Allman Brothers Band" fused country, blues and rock. I wore the grooves out.
5. Green River "CCR". I cannot label the actual sound this album introduced, but it was different. Reintroduced simplicity related to chords and song structure, yet produced a sound no one has duplicated.
6. Blonde on Blonde "Dylan" Again, these are not in any order, but his vocal styling and poetic lyrics made me listen to lyrics as much the instrumentation. No one has written better lyrics that Dylan over the years.
7. I am at work and the first Zepplin album title escapes me (God I'm getting old). But, this album introduced me to metal rock. They will always be the pioneers for me and this album was great.

Interlude: Sadly, went through a period of letting people convince me that if music wasn't Christian it wasn't worth listening to; I missed so much during these years. I then began to think for myself again and pretty much stayed within my "old albums."

Then, I heard American Idiot by "Green Day". Blew me away with its driving rock/punk sound.
It was this album that opened me up to Weezer, The White Stripes, Pink. So from this point onward I am listening for the next great sound.

The first Zeppelin album is simply called Led Zeppelin. As far as evolutionary albums, for me persoanlly they include:

The Afghan Whigs-1965
Jellyfish-Spilt Milk
Rolling Stones-Rock and Roll Circus (surpisingly the first Stones album I ever owned)
Bill Hicks-Dangerous (changed my thinking of nearly everything)
The Tragically Hip-Phantom Power ("don't tell me what the poets are doin")