In popular music, a concept album is an album which is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical" (Shuker 2002, p.5). Most often they are pre-planned (conceived) and with all songs contributing to a single overall theme or unified story, this plan or story being the concept. This is in contrast to the standard practice of an artist or group releasing an album consisting of a number of unconnected songs that the members of the group or the artist have written, or have been chosen to perform or cover. Given that the suggestion of something as vague as an overall mood often tags a work as being a concept album, a precise definition of the term proves problematic. For the music genre, see Pop music. ... An album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Problems with defining a concept album

In the contemporary rock era (from 1966 onwards - the point at which critics started to differentiate between "pop music" and "rock music" as a more serious form), there were, broadly speaking, two types of concept album: those that were essentially thematically-linked song cycles such, which did not claim a storyline, and those that presented a narrative that threaded the songs. Music critics of that era did not usually distinguish between the two types of concept album. An album that met either criterion was commonly referred to as a concept album. However, the distinction between the two types of concept album is important to note in respect to claims that are made as to which album may have been the first concept album in the rock era. Given this legitimate distinction, there are probably several contenders in each genre.

Another difficulty in classifying whether a given album qualifies as a concept album arises from the fact that both musicians and their listeners, through the rock era, increasingly viewed the record album as a unified art form, not simply a collection of songs. Songs on many albums may have a certain sense of cohesion even if there is no unifying lyrical theme or narrative structure. That sense of cohesion may be imposed simply by the particular lyrical or musical concerns of a composer or group of composers at the time a record was recorded. Thus, many albums that cannot genuinely be labeled concept albums in a strict sense get so designated by their fans. The album OK Computer by Radiohead, is an example of this tendency. In each of these cases, there was no intention by the performers to produce an actual concept album. Some albums without any single theme or narrative structure may nonetheless have a deliberate structure in which the order in which the songs are heard expresses a particular artistic intention. Such an album, or other collection of songs, may be best viewed as a song cycle, a broader notion, with roots in classical music, that may encompass many concept albums. OK Computer is the third album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in 1997. ... Radiohead are an English rock band. ... A song cycle is a group of songs designed to be performed in sequence as a single entity. ...

Early examples

What could very loosely be considered the first concept albums were released in the late 1930s by singer Lee Wiley on the Liberty Records label, featuring eight songs on four 78s by showtune composers of the day, such as Harold Arlen and Cole Porter, anticipating more comprehensive efforts by Verve Records impresario Norman Granz with Ella Fitzgerald by almost two decades.^[1] Lee Wiley Lee Wiley (9 October 1915 - 11 December 1975) was an American jazz singer popular in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. ... Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. ... Showtune (New York production 2003) is a popular musical revue celebrating the words and music of Jerry Herman, the composer and lyricist of the Broadway musicals Milk and Honey (1961), Hello, Dolly! (1964), Mame (1966), Dear World (1969), Mack & Mabel (1974), The Grand Tour (1979), and La Cage aux Folles... Harold Arlen (February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music. ... Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter from Peru, Indiana. ... Verve Records is an American Jazz record label, founded by Norman Granz in 1956, which absorbed the catalogues of his earlier labels: Norgran Records and Clef Records (founded 1953). ... Norman Granz (Los Angeles, USA, August 6, 1918 - Geneva, Switzerland, November 22, 2001), was an American jazz music impresario and producer. ... Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996), also known as Lady Ella and the First Lady of Song, is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century. ...

In the late '40s, Kansas City pianist Pete Johnson recorded the album Pete's House Warmin' , in which he starts out playing alone, supposedly in new empty house, and is joined there by J. C. Higgenbotham, J.C. Heard, and other Kansas City players. Each has a solo backed by Pete and then the whole group plays a jam session together.^[2] Peter (Pete) Johnson (March 24/25, 1904 - March 23, 1967) was an American jazz pianist best known as a leading boogie-woogie player. ... J. C. Heard (1917 - 1988) was a United States swing, bop, and blues drummer. ...

In folk music, Woody Guthrie's 1940 debut album Dust Bowl Ballads is also an early possibility.^[3] Folk song redirects here. ... Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (July 14, 1912–October 3, 1967) was a prolific American songwriter and folk musician. ... Dust Bowl Ballads is an album by Woody Guthrie, recorded for Victor Records in Camden, New Jersey in 1940. ...

Frank Sinatra released many thematically programmed albums of the 1950s for Capitol Records starting with the ten-inch 33s Songs for Young Lovers and Swing Easy. Perhaps the first full Sinatra concept album example is In the Wee Small Hours from 1955, where the songs – all ballads – were specifically recorded for the album, and organized around a central mood of late-night isolation and aching lost love, with the album cover strikingly reinforcing that theme.^[4] Sinatra redirects here. ... Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label, owned by EMI. // The Capitol Records company was founded by the songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, with the financial help of movie producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs, (1910-1971) (owner of Music City, at the... Songs For Young Lovers is a 1954 album by Frank Sinatra, his first released under the Capitol label. ... Swing Easy! is a 1954 album by Frank Sinatra, his second released under the Capitol label. ... In the Wee Small Hours is a recording by Frank Sinatra. ...

However, notion of a concept album did not really gel at that point, and was not widely imitated, aside from occasional examples such as country singer Marty Robbins' Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs from 1959^[5], or Ray Charles's The Genius Hits The Road (1960), where each song references one of the United States ("Georgia On My Mind", "Mississippi Mud", et cetera)^[6]. Also released that year, Johnny Cash's Ride This Train chronicled tales of Americana, woven together with narrative by Cash and train sounds. Each track begins with "Ride this train to..." and tells the story of that city.^[7] Marty Robbins (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982) was one of the most popular and successful American country and western singers of his era. ... Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs is an album released by Marty Robbins on the Columbia Records label in September 1959, peaking at #6 on the U.S. pop albums chart. ... For the composer and conductor of the Ray Charles Singers, see Ray Charles (composer). ... For the song of the same name, recorded by Tracy Byrd and later by Jason Aldean, see Johnny Cash (song). ... Ride This Train is the eighth album by country singer Johnny Cash. ...

1960s

Perhaps the first examples from rock were the albums of The Ventures. Starting from 1961's Colorful Ventures (each song had a color in the title), the group was known for issuing records throughout the 1960s whose tracks revolved around central themes, including surf music, country, outer space, TV themes, and psychedelic music.^[8] Walk Dont Run (1960) The Ventures are a rock instrumental band formed in 1958, by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, two Seattle masonry workers. ...

In 1966, several rock releases were arguably concept albums in the sense that they presented a set of thematically-linked songs - and they also instigated other rock artists to consider using the album format in a similar fashion: Pet Sounds, again by the Beach Boys, a masterful musical portrayal of Brian Wilson's would-be state of mind (and a huge inspiration to Paul McCartney); the Mothers of Invention's sardonic farce about rock music and America as a whole, Freak Out!; and Face to Face by The Kinks, the first collection of Ray Davies's idiosyncratic character studies of ordinary people. However, none of these attracted a wide commercial audience. Pet Sounds is a 1966 album recorded by American pop group the Beach Boys. ... For other persons named Brian Wilson, see Brian Wilson (disambiguation). ... Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an Academy Award-winning English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who first gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. ... Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 - December 4, 1993) was an American rock/jazz fusion musician, composer, and satirist. ... Freak Out!, released June 27, 1966 on MGM/Verve Records, is the debut album of The Mothers of Invention, led by Frank Zappa. ... Face to Face is an album released by The Kinks in 1966 on Reprise Records in the United States and Pye Records in the United Kingdom. ... The Kinks were an English rock group formed in 1963 by lead singer-songwriter Ray Davies, his brother, lead guitarist and vocalist Dave Davies, and bassist Pete Quaife. ... Raymond Douglas Davies, CBE (born June 21, 1944 at Fortis Green, London) is an influential English rock musician, best known as lead singer-songwriter for The Kinks - one of the most influential, prolific and long-lived British Invasion bands - which he led with his younger brother, Dave. ...

This all changed with the Beatles' celebrated album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in June of 1967. With the release of 'Sergeant Pepper', the notion of the concept album came to the forefront of the popular and critical mind, with the earlier prototypes and examples from classic pop and other genres sometimes forgotten. The phrase entered the popular lexicon. And a "concept album" - the term became imbued with the notion of artistic purpose - was inherently considered to be more creative or worthy of attention than a mere collection of new songs. This perception of course related to the intent of the artist rather than the specific content. For other uses, see Sgt. ... The term classic pop may be used, in general, to refer to any kind of American popular music that either wholly predates the eruption of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, or to any popular music which exists concurrently to rock and roll but originated in a time before...

In fact, as pointed out by many critics since its original reception, Sgt. Pepper is a concept album only by some definitions of the term. There was, at some stage during the making of the album an attempt to relate the material to an obscure radio play about the life of an ex-army bandsman and his shortcomings but this concept was lost in the final production. While debate exists over the extent to which Sgt. Pepper qualifies as a true concept album, there is no doubt that its reputation as such helped inspire other artists to produce concept albums of their own, and inspired the public to anticipate them. Lennon and McCartney distanced themselves from the "concept album" tag as applied to that album.^[9]

The Who Sell Out followed with its concept of a pirate radio broadcast. Within the record, joke commercials recorded by the band and actual jingles from recently outlawed pirate radio station Wonderful Radio London were interspersed between the songs, ranging from pop songs to hard rock and psychedelic rock, culminating with a mini-opera titled "Rael".^[10] Back cover The back cover of The Who Sell Out The Who Sell Out is The Whos third album, released in 1967. ... The term Pirate Radio usually refers to illegal or unregulated radio transmission. ... Wonderful Radio Londons transmitter ship, the MV Galaxy Don Pierson in 1964 Wonderful Radio London also known as Big L, was a top 40 (in Londons case, the Fab 40) offshore commercial station that operated from 16 December 1964 to 14 August 1967, from a ship anchored in... Hard Rock redirects here. ... Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs. ...

The album S.F. Sorrow (released in December 1968) by British group The Pretty Things is generally considered to be among the first creatively successful rock concept albums - in that each song is part of an overarching unified concept -- the life story of the main character, Sebastian Sorrow,^[11] S.F. Sorrow is the title of a 1968 LP by British rock group The Pretty Things. ... The Pretty Things are a 1960s and 1970s rock and roll band from London. ...

Released in April 1969, was the rock opera Tommy composed by Pete Townshend and performed by The Who. This acclaimed work was presented over two discs (still unusual in those days) and it took the idea of thematically based albums to a much higher appreciation by both critics and the public. It was also the first story-based concept album of the rock era (as distinct from the song-cycle style album) to enjoy commercial success. The Who went on to further explorations of the concept album format with their follow-up project Lifehouse, which was abandoned before completion, and with their 1973 rock opera, Quadrophenia.^[12] Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... For the 2005 album by the band Lifehouse, see Lifehouse (Lifehouse album). ...

Five months after the release of Tommy, The Kinks released their own rock opera Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (September 1969), written by Ray Davies. It was the first of several concept albums released by the band through the first few years of the 1970s. These were: Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One (1970), Preservation: Act 1 (1973), Preservation: Act 2 (1974), Soap Opera (1975) and Schoolboys in Disgrace (1976).^[13] The Kinks were an English rock group formed in 1963 by lead singer-songwriter Ray Davies, his brother, lead guitarist and vocalist Dave Davies, and bassist Pete Quaife. ... </gallery> </gallery> </gallery> </gallery> </gallery> </gallery> </gallery> </gallery>neygoround, Part One]] (1970) Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) is a concept album by English rock band The Kinks, released in late 1969. ... Raymond Douglas Davies, CBE (born June 21, 1944 at Fortis Green, London) is an influential English rock musician, best known as lead singer-songwriter for The Kinks - one of the most influential, prolific and long-lived British Invasion bands - which he led with his younger brother, Dave. ... Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One is an album by English rock band, The Kinks, recorded and released in 1970. ... Soap Opera or The Kinks Present A Soap Opera is a 1975 album by The Kinks. ... Schoolboys in Disgrace or The Kinks Present Schoolboys in Disgrace is a 1975 album by the English rock group The Kinks. ...

1970s

Concept albums are considered de rigueur in the progressive rock genre of the 1970s, hence the name of the genre itself. Most notably, Pink Floyd recast itself from its 1960s guise as a quirky psychedelic band into a commercial mega-success with its classic series of concept albums, beginning with The Dark Side of the Moon from 1973, followed by Wish You Were Here, Animals, the rock opera The Wall, and The Final Cut, with Roger Waters behind the themes and storylines.^[14] Yes also put out various concept albums during the 70's, most notably Tales from Topographic Oceans, which would become a defining album of prog rock but whose critical backlash would lead to the genre's decline and the rise of punk rock.^[15][16] Another progressive rock act, Genesis, with Peter Gabriel in the lead, released the concept album The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway in 1974, a double disc that told the story of the street punk Rael. For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. ... This article is about the album by Pink Floyd. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other Pink Floyd works based around this album, see The Wall (Pink Floyd). ... The Final Cut is a rock album by Pink Floyd recorded at several studios in the UK from July to December 1982. ... George Roger Waters (born September 6, 1943) is an English rock musician; singer, guitarist, bassist, songwriter, and composer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Tales From Topographic Oceans is the sixth studio album by British progressive rock band Yes. ... Genesis is an English rock band formed in 1967. ... Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950, in Chobham,[1] Surrey, England) is an English musician. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

1980s

Dennis DeYoung of Styx as "Kilroy" in the Styx concert film, "Kilroy Was Here".

Though the progressive rock genre was beginning to disappear, concept albums had become a medium that continued. The progressive bands that were still around were still having major successes with concept albums. Styx had multiplatinum albums with 1981's, Paradise Theater (a concept album about a decaying theater in Chicago which became a metaphor for childhood and American culture) and 1983's Kilroy Was Here (a science fiction rock opera about a future where moralists imprison rockers).^[17] Image File history File links Kilroy2. ... Image File history File links Kilroy2. ... Styx (pronounced sticks) is an American rock band that was popular in the 1970s and 1980s, with such hits as Come Sail Away, Babe, Lady, Suite Madame Blue, Mr. ... Paradise Theater is a concept album released by the rock band Styx in January 1981 (see 1981 in music). ... Kilroy Was Here is a rock opera/concept album by the rock band Styx. ...

80's metal bands released albums like Queensrÿche's Operation: Mindcrime; which tells a story of a heroin-addict joining a cult, seeking help, and finding those close to him dead by his own hands,^[18] and Iron Maiden's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son; which follows the folklore and myths of a seventh son of a seventh son having mystical powers, such as being clairvoyant, enjoyed major successes in the 80s.^[19] Queensrÿche (pronounced IPA: ) is an American heavy metal / progressive metal band formed in 1981 in Bellevue, Washington. ... Operation: Mindcrime is Queensrÿches third full-length album, which was released on May 3, 1988. ... This article is about the band. ... This article is about the folklore concept. ...

The eighties also brought back an earlier form of the concept genre - albums with unifying themes, not necessarily coherent stories. An example is Journey's Escape in which all of the songs had to do with rebellion and escaping from one's present situation. Perhaps the most obvious example of this is with U2. All of U2's albums center on a theme. The songs all reflect this theme. In concert, U2 create their stage shows to showcase the theme of the album the tour is supporting. This could be seen, quite easily, in the Zoo TV, Popmart, and Vertigo tours. Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco, California. ... Journeys seventh album, Escape, was released in August of 1981. ...

1990's - Present

With the invention of the World Wide Web and other multimedia technologies concept albums entered an era where much of the concept would extend beyond the album. An early example of this is The Smashing Pumpkins album Machina/The Machines of God. The album's storyline was told through many outlets: the album, its artwork, the band's web site, and cryptic fliers handed out at concerts. .^[20] The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago in 1988. ... Machina/The Machines of God is The Smashing Pumpkins fifth studio album, released on February 29, 2000. ...

The four full-length releases by Coheed and Cambria are all part of an extended narrative involving a civil war in space. The band's four full-lengths act as successive chapters (Parts 2-4) in the overall story-arch, with the prequel to be, tentatively, the Bands next project. The band's focus on the concept, known as The Amory Wars, extends outside of the album, and has been adapted into 2 comic book series (one now defunct) as well as a graphic novel. Coheed and Cambria is a progressive rock[6][7] band from Nyack, New York and Kingston, New York. ... The Amory Wars, originally called the Bag. ...

In 2007, this was taken to new heights by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Months before the release of the band's Year Zero album an alternate reality game began telling the story of group of future rebel fighters sending messages to the past. Tracks from the album were hidden at concerts on USB drives, clues led to more web sites which all explain more details of the story.^[21] Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965), is an American musician, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. ... Nine Inch Nails (abbreviated as NIN) is an American band, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. ... Year Zero (also known as Halo 24) is the sixth Nine Inch Nails studio album, released on April 16, 2007 in Europe, April 17 in the United States, and April 25, 2007 in Japan. ... Alternate Reality, see Alternate Reality (computer game). ...

Although the concept album format is traditionally associated with rock music, in 2004, English garage artist The Streets released a concept album entitled A Grand Don't Come For Free. The album contains numerous characters, who all provide their own voices. The album was a commercial success, reaching number one in the UK charts. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mike Skinner (born November 27, 1978), more commonly known by his stage name The Streets, is a rapper from Birmingham, England. ... A Grand Dont Come for Free is the second album for UK garage musician Mike Skinner, aka The Streets, released on May 18, 2004. ... The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. ...

See also

• Program music – the classical music analogue
• Rock opera

Program music is music intended to evoke extra-musical ideas, images in the mind of the listener by musically representing a scene, image or mood [1]. By contrast, absolute music stands for itself and is intended to be appreciated without any particular reference to the outside world. ... The Whos Tommy, the first album explicitly billed as a rock opera A rock opera is a rock music album or stage production that resembles the form of an opera. ...

References

• Shuker, Roy (2002). Popular Music: The Key Concepts. ISBN 0-415-28425-2.

External links

• Musicweb article on concept album
• A growing overview of conceptual artists by the "Concept Albums & Artists"-group at last.fm

References

1. ^ http://www.peanutsjazz.com/artists/Lee-Wiley-Biography.html
2. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=qYtz7kEHegEC&pg=PT295&lpg=PT295&dq=pete+johnson+concept+album&source=web&ots=ALaLm23vc-&sig=MeYLT-Dw9AYKBOwZJ4fqdxkK_d4
3. ^ http://music.msn.com/album/?album=10461383&menu=review
4. ^ http://search.insound.com/search/artist.jsp?artist=P+++++3150
5. ^ http://countrymusic.about.com/library/blam3.htm
6. ^ http://www.raycharles.com/the_man_timeline.html
7. ^ http://www.popmatters.com/pm/reviews/article/14769/cashjohnny-america
8. ^ http://www.sandcastlevi.com/ventures/venthst.htm
9. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6595610/1_sgt_peppers_lonely_hearts_club_band
10. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6598681/113_the_who_sell_out
11. ^ http://www.popmatters.com/pm/reviews/article/24787/prettythings-sf
12. ^ http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608004122/Pete-Townshend.html
13. ^ http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608001298/Ray-Davies.html
14. ^ http://www.tiscali.co.uk/music/biography/pink_floyd_biography.html
15. ^ http://www.warr.org/yes.html
16. ^ http://www.punk77.co.uk/punkhistory/whendinosaursromaedtheearth.htm
17. ^ http://www.popmatters.com/pm/features/article/8636/concept-albums-are-once-again-in-vogue-in-the-digital-age/
18. ^ http://www.popmatters.com/columns/begrand/060316.shtml
19. ^ http://www.maidenfans.com/imc/?url=album07_ssoass/commentary07_ssoass&link=albums&lang=eng
20. ^ http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/smashing+pumpkins/biography.html
21. ^ http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1552470/20070215/nine_inch_nails.jhtml