SMiLE - The Beach Boys - A 'teenage symphony to God,' with three sections: Americana, Cycle Of Life, and The Elements. Not released but re-recorded in 2004 as a solo album by Brian Wilson
After Bathing At Baxter's - Jefferson Airplane (1967) - An attempt to catch the psychedelic experience in music
The Story of Simon Simopath - Nirvana (1967) - A boy's wish to fly
Cosmic Sounds - The Zodiac (1967) - sign-by-sign musical interpretation of the signs of the horrorscope
Ten of Pentacles - Sam the Sham - promoted as Sam's concept of the Tarot and fate. A random collection of covers and originals, starting with "Old MacDonald had a Boogaloo Farm", is no concept album, however. Included here for contrast, insight into marketing practices at the time.
Odessey and Oracle - The Zombies (1968) - All songs are about love in one way or another, be it platonic love, romance, sex, or sharing a special bond with a certain place.
Edmundo Lopez - Coupla Prog (1970) - describes the story of an imaginary boy living in an unspecified South American country, and his experiences in trying to survive in hiding during civil war.
Blows Against the Empire - Paul Kantner & Jefferson Starship (1970) - The story of a group of people who steal a starship from the elite and found a utopia elsewhere
666 - Aphrodite's Child (1970) Deals with the end of the world with elements from the Book of Revelations but with an unusual psychedelic interpretation.
Death of a Country - Bang (1971) - About the various ways in which the American dream is crumbling due to disregard for the environment and each other.
Muswell Hillbillies - The Kinks (1971) - Down-and-out North Londoners express their disillusionment, paranoia, and dreams of a better life in a better place upon being relocated out of Muswell Hill when the gritty neighborhood was rebuilt following extensive damage by bombing in World War II.
Edge of Time - DOM (1971) - A sonic and poetic journey depicting the band's impressions after a lengthy experience with DOM [STP], a potent psychedelic drug.
Magic Theatre - Drum Circus (1971) - A musical attempt to guide the listener through various stages of the spiritual quest for enlightenment.
Three Parts To My Soul - Dr. Z (1971) - Examines the philosophical idea that the soul has three parts covering different functions of awareness, all tied in with notions of the ultimate hopelessness of hope for redemption.
L'histoire de Melody Nelson - Serge Gainsbourg (1971) - the doomed affair between a middle-aged Frenchman and a 15-year-old English schoolgirl
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye (1971) - Urban turmoil and changing times, the first album from a Motown artist that wasn't just a collection of singles
- Daddy Cool (1971) - A lighthearted look at the trials and tribulations required of a young lad in attempting to satisfy his requirements of those 3 things; inner gatefold had a comic strip which made it clearer.
Aqualung - Jethro Tull (1971) - Criticism of organized religion for breaking people's personal relationship with God
Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull (1972) - One long musical track written around a poem by a fictitious child prodigy.
Fetus - Franco Battiato (1972) - About potential people who are never born due to contraception, as well as unwanted children who are born.
Three Friends - Gentle Giant (1972) - Three old friends reminisce about their days as schoolchildren
Impressions on Reading Aldous Huxley - Brave New World (1972) - Instrumental music inspired by Huxley's more 'esoteric' writings.
Seven Up - Ash Ra Tempel with Timothy Leary (1972) - a musical interpretation of Leary's ideas about the stages of consciousness, from base awareness to enlightenment and cosmic integration [also a rare chance to hear Leary try to sing like a rock god!]
The Lord of the Rings - Bo Hansson (1972) - Album with instrumentals inspired by Tolkien's Book.
Ennea - Chase (1972) - not the whole thing is a concept album, but a lot of it is about various Greek gods.
A Passion Play - Jethro Tull (1973) - A man dies and comes back to Earth to help the people he loves
Berlin - Lou Reed (1973) - A tale of a drug abusing couples' doomed romance
Documents of Captivity - Thunderpussy (1973) - An examination in 'documents' of the traps and pitfalls humankind create for themselves in the passage of their lives, as well as the possibility of releasing one's self from them.
Preservation Act 1 , Preservation Act 2 - The Kinks (1973, 1974) - The rise of a greedy developer and his fall at the hands of a moralizing dictator, set in and around a quaint English village.
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Genesis (1974) - A young man gets the opportunity to fix his past mistakes through a series of (mis)adventures in Manhattan and a dreamlike alter-world.
Planet of Man - Code III (1974) - follows the history of humanity, beginning with the earth preceding humans, building to a climax/crisis of confusion and hatred, the destruction of the human race, and the re-emergence of new life from the primal goop.
The Boy From the Star - Jim Keays (1974) - ex-Master's Apprentices singer turns spaceman to tell the tale of an extraterrestrial who comes to earth warning us to change our ways, and encouraging us to make our world a better place.
In Search of Ancient Gods - Absolute Elsewhere (1976) - Instrumental music intended to depict various examples of theories of Erich Von Daniken regarding ancient extraterrestrial visitors; came with a booklet full of texts summarising these ideas.
A Life - Alpha-Omega (1976) - Follows the life of a man from birth to death.
Backdoor Possibilities - Birth Control (1976) - Follows the lives of a 9-5 everyman and looks into the possibilities he could be exploring in life outside of conformity.
L'homme a tete de chou (Cabbage Head) Serge Gainsbourg (1976) - a man's jealousy over his wife's adultery leads him to kill her
Here, My Dear - Marvin Gaye (1978) - A description of the circumstances that led to Marvin's divorce. (An urban legend holds that the judge who handled the divorce settlement awarded the royalties from this album to Marvin's ex-wife, Anna, and that Marvin deliberately recorded sub-standard work to deprive her of those royalties. The true story, however, is that while a substantial part of the settlement money was projected to come from the royalties of the album (and an even larger part had already come from the advances on those royalties) Marvin was liable for the entire amount no matter how well or poorly the record performed.)
That's Life - Sham 69 (1978) - the travails of working class youth in suburban London. Notable as the first punk rock concept album.
Joe's Garage - Frank Zappa (1979) (Originally released as two separate albums; Act I and Acts II/III) - follows "Joe," the prototypical rock-star wannabee, as he wastes his life pursuing a false dream, sinking to degrading new lows in self-esteem...
Paradise Theater - Styx (1981) - Chicago's Old Paradise theater's destruction is a metaphor for the destruction of America
Nude - Camel (1981) - A World War II veteran who was stranded on an island alone is rescued; he can not cope with life in society and returns to the island
The Mark Of The Mole - The Residents (1981) - A culture is driven from their homes by a storm and forced into conflict with another race.
The Lexicon Of Love - ABC (1982) - A young man's ultimately unsuccessful attempt to hold a meaningful relationship with any woman
The Nightfly - Donald Fagen (1982) - A fictional jazz DJ reminisces about his childhood, growing up in the early 1960s
The Big Bubble - The Residents (1985) - Ramsay, lead singer for Mohelmot group The Big Bubble, is released from prison and signed to a record label. Part four of the Mole trilogy, expanding upon events within the as-yet-unreleased third installment
- The Plasmatics (1987) - Mutant maggots devour the citizens of New York City, gradually increasing in size and breeding, until they eventually take over the world
God In 3 Persons - The Residents (1988) - A Colonel Parker type character discovers a pair of Siamese Twins who have miraculous healing powers, and ends up raping them
Magic and Loss - Lou Reed (1992) - Growing old and dying, written in honor of two departed friends
Broken - Nine Inch Nails (1992) - Songs about violence and slavery - accompanied by an unreleased 20-minute film.
Night of the Stormrider - Iced Earth (1992) - A man who is betrayed by religion turns away from it in anger. The dark forces of nature reach out to this enraged man and use him as their vessel to bring death and destruction to Earth
The Crimson Idol - W.A.S.P. (1992) - The story of a kid that becomes a rockstar, but then finds out that being a rockstar isn't all that glamorous
Stone Of Sisyphus - Chicago - Built around the legend of Sisyphus. Not released in its entirety, but two tracks later released in a 2003 compilation box set
Brave - Marillion (1994) - A runaway girl's battle to keep hope alive
The Last Temptation - Alice Cooper (1994) - A young boy's fight against a spider-like demon who runs a circus
The Downward Spiral - Nine Inch Nails (1994) - The story of a character losing control of his life because of his choices and finding himself on a downward spiral through life. He regains control in the form of suicide.
Dark Saga - Iced Earth (1996) - It tells the story of the comic book Spawn, in which a man dies and goes to hell. He sells his soul in order to return to his true love on Earth. But he soon discovers that she is married to his own best friend. He is left completely alone in the world, and although he has good inside, he is influenced by dark forces.
Music From the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle - 'The Olivia Tremor Control (1996) - The soundtrack to an as-yet unmade film about a pair of women named Olivia and Jacqueline and a massive earthquake dubbed the "California Demise".
The Graveyard - King Diamond (1996) - A man seeks revenge against the town mayor
Pinkerton - Weezer (1996) - The story of a man and his search for and inability to find and maintain true love.
Harbour of Tears - Camel (1996) - The story of a group of Irish immigrants to the United States, the forefathers of guitarist Andrew Latimer
OK Computer - Radiohead (1997) - In an Orwellian 1984-ish society, each song documents a narrator's experience within the world. The album has also been interpreted as a commentary on the dehumanizing effects of society, particularly that of technology.
When The Red King Comes - Elf Power (1997) - A Tolkien-like fantasy world.
Still Life - Opeth (1999) Tells the story of a man cast out of a town as a child for being a heretic and his return to claim his life-long obsession, Melinda. The rest of the album tells about the outcome of such a plight.
Bright Apocalypse - Stuart Davis (1999) Depicts the spiritual life of one who loses his traditional faith and embraces a more subtle, nondual divinity.
Love And The Russian Winter - Simply Red (1999) - Love stories set in a world in a time of transition into the new millennium (the "Russian Winter" of the album's title).
The Gay Parade - Of Montreal (1999) - A collection of songs describing a variety of surreal characters marching in the parade of life.
The Decline - NOFX (1999) - Actually a single track of about 18 minutes, centering about the (moral) decline of the USA.
Haunted - Poe (2000) - chronicles the singer's emotional journey as she comes to terms with her relationship with her late father. Also ties into the novel House of Leaves written by her brother, Mark Z. Danielewski.
Kid A - Radiohead (2000) - Homicidal genetically-engineered monstrosities (which represent capitalist exploitation) are let loose upon a complacent and denial-filled society.
I am not a Freemdoom - Masters of the Hemisphere (2000) - The island of Krone Ishta, populated by many lake-dwelling creatures, is invaded by an evil dog named Freemdoom who drains the lakes in order to force the inhabitants to buy air-lungs, made in Freemdoom's factory. Mal and Ed, two native islanders attempt to stop him, but their plan backfires as Freemdoom grafts his henchman Gorgar's head onto Ed's body.
Winners Never Quit - Pedro the Lion (2000) - A tale of two brothers, one – the family favorite – is lead into politics and eventually murders his wife who was going to release information that would end his career.
The Shaming of the True - Kevin Gilbert (2000 - posthumous release) - a biting commentary on the music industry at large as seen through the eyes of an aspiring young rock musician named Johnny Virgil.
Sagan Om Världens Mest Hypade Band by Charta 77 (2000, recorded in 1999) - A story about the rise and fall of a band.
- Ayreon (2000) - Travel back in time to various periods in history.
- Ayreon (2000) - The journey goes back even further, to the birth of the universe
Amnesiac - Radiohead (2001) - Kid A narrator returns from death, and puts together his past life piece by piece.
Light of Day, Day of Darkness - Green Carnation (2001) - A single hour-long song of somewhat obscure meaning, involving enlightenment and the journey of life.
Dragontown - Alice Cooper (2001) - The sequel to Brutal Planet .
Lateralus - Tool (2001) - Search for spirituality and purpose, featuring a great deal of esoteric references to the Tree of Life_(Kabbalah) .
Toxicity - System of a Down (2001) - Anthems and songs composed to represent the city of Los Angeles and the band.
Southern Rock Opera - The Drive By Truckers (2001) - A two-disc concept album alternately based on the life and death of Lynyrd Skynyrd and one man's journey through growing up in the South between the 60s and today.
Leitmotif - Dredg (2001) - A man travels to different cultures to cure his spiritual affliction.
Vision Creation Newsun - Boredoms (2001) - A long jam centered around two drummers and electronic manipulations.
- Of Montreal (2001) - A fairy-like creature named Coquelicot falls asleep and dreams of a strange world in which various characters travel to a remote island and populate it with fantastical genetically-modified animals.
Horror Show - Iced Earth (2001) - A series of songs about horror icons of stage, screen, and literature
Carrot Boy the Beautiful - James Kochalka Superstar (2002) - In an effort to create an army of sentient vegetables, a mad scientist creates the kind hearted Carrot Boy. Conflict ensues over Carrot Boy's feline friend.
The Beginning Stages of... - The Polyphonic Spree (2002) - The sun, light, and day.
Scarlet's Walk - Tori Amos (2002) - A woman goes on a trip across America to discover its past, its present and future
El Cielo - Dredg (2002) - Booklet contains letters written by sufferers of sleep disorders; most of the songs on the album revolve around the subject of sleep.
Control - Pedro the Lion (2002) - A woman is lead insane by her husband's infidelity. A physical fight between the two towards the end of the album leads to the man receiving a fatal stab wound.
Snow - Spock's Beard (2002) - An outcast teenager transforms into a messianic figure
Emergency Rations - Mr. Lif (2002) - The artist's anger and confusion about living in Bush-era America.
I Phantom - Mr. Lif (2002) - A character lives through poverty, grueling labor, a failed family life, and finally the end of the world.
Tallahassee - The Mountain Goats (2002) - Couple from John Darnielle's "Alpha..." song cycle move to Tallahassee, Fla. to try to save their relationship. Disaster ensues.
Truthless Heroes - Project 86 (2002) - This album is a scathing critique of modern culture, set as T.V. show following the life of a young boy.
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips (2002) A Japanese girl attempts to save a city from destructive pink robots. However, Wayne Coyne (lead singer and songwriter) denies that this is intended to be a concept album.
The Last DJ - Tom Petty (2002) An attack on the greediness of the music industry.
Space Metal - Star One (2002) - An album by Ayreon's Arjen Lucassen, where all songs are about science fiction movies.
De-Loused in the Comatorium - The Mars Volta (2003) - Tortured artist Cerpin Taxt tries to commit suicide via morphine overdose, but sends himself into a coma laden with visions of his own creations.
Take Me To Your Leader - King Geedorah (2003) - MF Doom (King Geedorah) offers a biography of the Godzilla nemesis.
Taste the Secret - Ugly Duckling (2003) - The humorous trials and tribulations of the employees of an all-meat fast food joint, Meatshake and their competitor, Veggie Hut.
Mount Eerie - The Microphones (2003) - The idea of human life in stages – birth, life, death, and rebirth – as told through the story of a man's journey to a mountain, the environment that overwhelms him, and his overcoming of it.
My love, My Way - Modern Life Is War (2003) - All songs deals with outstanding and to keep going on with life.
Sing the Sorrow - AFI (2003) - A man who goes through with life, suffers through death, and cannot reincarnate goes insane during the afterlife.
"The Complex " - Blue Man Group (2003) - The story of people trapped in a city where they are close to others, yet have no psycological or mental connection with them. Focuses on information overload, work-a-holics, fake personas, and mental and physical escape.
American Idiot - Green Day (2004) - A Bay Area suburbanite named Jesus of Suburbia flees his broken home to experience city life, transforming into the rebellious St. Jimmy. Notable as a punkrock opera. The first two punk rock operas can arguably be attributed to Hüsker Dü's Zen Arcade, a story of a young punk who runs away from home only to discover the horrors of the world, and the Minutemen's half-hearted attempt at making an album about riding in a car, Double Nickels on the Dime.
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge - My Chemical Romance (2004) - An album about two Bonnie and Clyde-like lovers who die in the desert in a gunfight. The man goes to hell and meets the devil. But the woman isn't there, and the devil says they can only be reunited if the man brings him the souls of 1,000 evil men.
The Human Equation - Ayreon (2004) - A man gets into an accident in broad daylight, with no other cars around. He lays in a comatose state and faces his feelings and the monsters of his past.
