The Police–Synchronicity

Abbey Road is definitely #1 – The Beatles made a conscious choice to go balls-out with their final album and make it count after recording the woefully underrated but still flawed Let It Be.

My other 4 picks:

Sublime – Sublime
The Doors – L.A. Woman
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland
Nirvana – In Utero

Sublime by Sublime
Fiestas+Fiascos by Lftr Pllr
Reinventing the Steel by Pantera
Down on the Upside by Soundgarden

Absolutely, Abby Road by the Beatles.

The Smiths – Strangeways Here We Come
Pixies – Trompe Le Monde
Sleater-Kinney – The Woods
Television – Television
The Velvet Underground – Loaded (Squeeze doesn’t count)
Nick Drake – Pink Moon
The Beatles – Abbey Road

Nirvana – In Utero
Sublime – Sublime
Soundgarden – Down on the upside
uncle tupelo – anodyne
joy division – Closer
the replacements – Dont tell a soul
[all shook down was paul unoffical 1st solo record]

Nirvana – In Utero
Sublime – Sublime
Soundgarden – Down on the upside
uncle tupelo – anodyne
joy division – Closer
the replacements – Dont tell a soul
[all shook down was paul unoffical 1st solo record]

The Clash – Combat Rock (I don’t count “Cut the Crap)

Blink 182 – Blink 182

Nick Drake – Pink Moon

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros – Streetcore

John Lennon – Double Fantasy
Nirvana – In Utero
Jeff Buckley – Grace
Smiths – Strangeways

At The Drive In – Relationship Of Command

Queen – Innuendo

Ben Folds Five – The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner

Talking Heads – Naked

Whiskeytown – Pneumonia

Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water

Abbey Road, Double Fantasy, In Utero, Synchronicity

also,

Janis Joplin (w/Big Brother & The Holding Company) – Cheap Thrills

beatles – abbey road
jimi hendrix – electric ladyland
big star – third/sister lovers
the anniversary – your majesty
nick drake – pink moon
the zombies – oddesey and oracle
jeff buckley – grace
elliott smith – from a basement on a hill?? (if not then def figure
stevie ray vaughan and double trouble – in step

oh and i’m hopeful we can put another one here soon…
coldplay – viva la vida

#1 – The Beatles – Abbey Road

The runner ups:
Joy Division – Closer
Nirvana – In Utero
Jeff Buckley – Grace
Nick Drake – Pink Moon
The Police – Synchronicity
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland
Soundgarden – Down on the Upside
Jellyfish – Spilt Milk
Sunny Day Real Estate – The Rising Tide
Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Refused – The Shape of Punk to Come
Sublime – Sublime

I am wondering if we should exclude anybody who is on this list due to a death. I think that there is an inherent difference between a group that completed it’s musical “arc” and disbanded, and one whose mission was cut short due to circumstances…

thoughts?

this list would be more legit if it was an “official” last albums list — like abbey road, strangeways here we come, synchronicity

vs. last albums due to deaths (which i consider to have a different “feel”) in utero, life after death, and closer would be key examples

comparing an album where a band manages to put some of their differences aside and make a final statement (or go out on a high note like avalon) is very different than having the leader die in the peak of their career.

Rage Against the Machine–Battle of Los Angeles (I don’t count their album of covers)

Queen’s last album with Freddie Mercury was Made in Heaven, but some of those songs had been released in different forms before, and it was released after his death. Although it was good, it was not nearly as good as Innuendo, which contained one of the greatest songs of ALL TIME, “The Show Must Go On”.

Velvet Underground – Loaded
Ramones – Adios Amigo
Replacements – All Shook Down
New Order – Waiting for the Siren’s Call

Joe Strummer & The Mescoleros-Streetcore

The Doors-L.A. Woman

The Sex Pistols-Nevermind The Bullocks

Final albums:
SWANS – Soundtracks For The Blind
Neutral Milk Hotel – In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
Virgin Prunes – The Moon Looked Down And Laughed
Dead Can Dance – Spiritchaser

Last album before homeboy died
Joy Division – Closer
Nirvana – In Utero
Johnny Cash – American IV – The Man Comes Around
Alice In Chains – Alice In Chains

Parade-Prince & The Revolution
Abbey Road-The Beatles
Closer-Joy Division
We Love Life-Pulp
Strangeways, Here We Come-The Smiths
Go Away White-Bauhaus
Good God’s Urge-Porno For Pyros
Lift-Love & Rockets

Uprising -Bob Marley and the Wailers
Abbey Road
Ritual de lo Habitual -Jane’s Addiction
Streetcore -Joe Strummer
The Love Movement – A Tribe Called Quest
Operation Ivy – Energy
End Hits -fugazi (more? let’s hope so!)
Respect -Lucky Dube
Bridge over Trouble Water -S&G
Feedback -Jurassic 5
Loaded -Velvet Underground
The Man Comes Around -J.R. Cash
Traveling Wilburies, Vol. 3
Adios Amigos -Ramones
and what ever Dylans last record is

ABBEY ROAD

Abbey Road – The Beatles
The Doors – L.A. Woman
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland

Janes Addiction-Ritual De Lo Habitual (last release with eric avery on bass)
Van Halen-1984 (final david lee roth era album)

Abbey Road. Can’t argue with that at all.

Honorable mentions:
Hendrix – Electric Ladyland
Pixies – Trompe le Monde
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Uprising

Ramones- Adios Amigos

Metallica- Master Of Puppets

Guns N’ Roses- Appetite For Destruction

. . . and not another word from any of these dudes ever again!

Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland
Sublime – Sublime
Nick Drake – Pink Moon
The Velvet Underground – Loaded
The Band – The Last Waltz
Bob Marley and the Wailers-Uprising
Otis Redding – The Dock of the Bay
Pavement – Terror Twilight

I would probably pick In Utero or Abbey Road; but a couple of very good last albums haven’t come up yet. I love Shangri-La Dee Da (perfect name for final cd) by the Stone Temple Pilots, Celebrity Skin by Hole, and Midnight Love by Marvin Gaye.

Aw, man, I’d love to be a rebel on this one, but…

The Beatles, ABBEY ROAD. Anyone who argues with it is just being difficult.

And, HEY!!! – a lot of you guys are cheating. You can’t pick a band’s last *GOOD* album and call it there last album! Like it or not, “Cut the Crap” was the final Clash album. And “Appetite for Destruction” was Gun’s ‘n’ Roses’ freakin DEBUT album, for Chrissakes!!!

Otherwise, I’m a huge fan of Morrissey’s final album (that did’t suck ass), “Viva Hate.”

george harrison – brainwashed

the beatles – abbey road
hendrix – electric ladyland
bob marley – uprising
cream – goodbye
faces – ooh la la
the jam – the gift

The only truly final album to me. Made by a wildly underappreciated artist who knew as he recorded it that he may not live to see the project finished. The Wind, by Warren Zevon

I do feel the need to add that I reallyh was disappointed to see in the story that you still held out hope for a Pink Floyd album, because I would say a good choice might be The Final Cut, sice Pink Floyd, to me, ceased being a viable entity once they ceased to have Roger Waters as a member

The Shape of Punk to Come – Refused

hendrix – electric ladyland
Gorillaz – Demon Days (i read that albarn said no more gorillaz)
Nirvana – In Utero
Otis Redding – The Dock Of The bay
Rage Against The Machine – Renegades

Rage Against the Machine – The Battle of LA.

Talk about ending a career on a high note. I’m crossing my fingers that these guys release a new studio album though.

The Beatles – of course, Abbey Road: How could a last album ever compare with this masterpiece from a band that can never be duplicated at a time when music was producing some of the greatest pieces of work ever?

I think
Dire Straits On Every Street

is at least worth mentioning. It of course did not sell like Brothers In Arms, but is arguably an even better album. Strong way to go out.

ABBEY ROAD – THE BEATLES

Electric Ladyland – JIMI HENDRIX
Closer – JOY DIVISION
Strangeways, Here We Come – THE SMITHS
L.A. Woman – THE DOORS
Grace – JEFF BUCKLEY
Pink Moon – NICK DRAKE
Bridge Over Troubled Water – SIMON & GARFUNKEL
Loaded – THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

Refused – The Shape of Punk to Come

Ugly Kid Joe – Motel California

SRV – In Step
Faith No More – Album Of The Year
The Doors – LA Women
Nirvana – In Utero
Sublime – Sublime

The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner- Ben Folds Five

The Woods- Sleater-Kinney

Pink Moon- Nick Drake

From A Basement On A Hill- Elliott Smith

Yoko- Beulah

Not saying its the best but Soundgarden’s ‘Down on the Upside’ is a very solid last album to me.

wings, back to the egg

Of course, beatles are the universal measure for everything.

Also, a band´s have a last album for more than one reason. Some are done intentionally, some aren´t. Naturally, one is inclined to think that the best last albums, are those that are the last album accidentally. One even sees prophetic lyrics, and keys to understand their sudden deaths, is as important as the emotion that wakes the music itself, or the story behind it.

The Beatles-Abbey Road
The Small Faces-Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake
The Zombies-Odessey and Oracle
The Police-Synchronicity
Jimi Hendrix Experience-Electric Ladyland
The Doors-L.A. Woman
Funkadelic-Electric Spanking of War Babies
Uncle Tupelo-Anodyne
Nirvana-In Utero

The Beatles – Abbey Road
The Police – Synchronicity
John Lennon – Double Fantasy
Nick Drake – Pink Moon
Richard & Linda Thompson – Shoot Out The Lights
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Ice Cream For Crow
The Velvet Underground – Loaded (Squeeze officially doesn’t count, right? I mean, honestly, name a single person name named Doug Yule that ever counted it)

Sleep-Dopesmoker
Sublime-Subli me
Otis Redding-Dock of the Bay
Jimi Hendrix Experience-Electric Ladyland

Beatles – Abbey Road
Nick Drake – Pink Moon
Doors – LA Woman
The Zombies – Oddessey and Oracles
Gram Parsons – Grievous Angel (I don’t think it has been mentioned? Was his last studioalbum)

Big ups for the previous post re: Warren Zevon’s The Wind.

Beatles – Abbey Road
Big Country – Driving to Damascus
Hendrix – Electric Ladyland
SRV – In Step
Smiths – Strangeways here we come
Doors – LA Woman
The Who – Who are You
FREE – Free at last

1. Oceans Apart – The Go-Betweens

2. Western Culture – Henry Cow

3. Deceit – This Heat

4. Laughing Stock – Talk Talk

5. Hoboken Saturday Night – The Insect Trust

6. Terror Twilight – Pavement

7. El Oso – Soul Coughing

8. 3 Way Tie (For Last) – The Minutemen

9. Who’s Landing In My Hanger – Human Switchboard

10.Electric Ladyland – The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Definitely Abbey Road is number one.

Roxy Music – Avalon
Captain Beefheart – Ice Cream for Crow

#1: joy division – closer

and you forgot some modern classics:

at the drive-in – relationship of command

mr. bungle – california

white zombie – astro-creep 2000

lauryn hill – the miseducation of lauryn hill

The Doors – LA Woman
Janis Joplin – Pearl

The Wind….great album

The Police- Synchronicity
Velvet Underground- Loaded
The Beatles- Abbey Road
Sex Pistols- Nevermind The Bullocks
Simon & Garfunkel- Bridge Over Troubled Water

Pavement – Terror Twilight
Nick Drake – Pink Moon
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
Uncle Tupelo – Anodyne
The Beatles – Abbey Road
Rage Against The Machine - Battle Of L.A.
Whiskeytown – Pnuemonia
Velvet Underground – Loaded
Neutral Milk Hotel – In An Aeroplane Over The Sea
Johnny Cash – The Man Comes Around

abbey road is obviously the bench mark. it summarizes everything that was great about the greatest band that ever was. and, unlike on the white album, they even sounded like they were having fun.

while there really is no close second, here are ten other last albums that at least rank amongst the best of that artist’s work:
joy division – closer
the stooges – raw power
uncle tupelo – anodyne
nick drake – pink moon
the faces – ooh la la
the soft boys – underwater moonlight
my bloody valentine – loveless
nirvana – in utero
the libertines – the libertines
jimi hendrix experience – electric ladyland

Pantera – Reinventing the Steel
Sublime – Sublime
Johnny Cash – American IV
Sepultura – Roots (the last one with Max and the real Sep)

No mention of 2pac yet…

I guess no one know what his last album is

GNR-Use your illusion 1&2(The slash lineup to be exact those were the last albums they made)
Doors-L.A. women
Hendrx-Electric ladyland
Fugees-The score
Beatles-Abbey road
Sublime-Sublime

Shouldn’t “Abbey Road” be disqualified. I know it was the last album The Beatles recorded, but it was not the last album released. That was “Let It Be”. Honestly, both albums are overrated. They are typical of the studio shut-in era Beatles. Where they were getting stoned and releasing albums full of hit and miss songs.

Also, where are the votes for “The Speghetti Incident” by Guns N Roses? Even though Axl owns the name, the band is not playing together. It looks like it’s unlikely that they will anytime soon.

Electric Ladyland – Jimi Hendrix Experience
Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkal
Mystery Girl – Roy Orbison
A Hundred Highways – Johnny Cash
The Libertines – The Libertines

Talking Heads – Naked
Cream – Goodbye
Roy Orbision – Mystery Girl
Nirvana – In Utero

Go Away White – Bauhaus
In Step – SRV
Abbey Road – Beatles
Final Recordings – Billie Holiday
The Wind – Warren Zevon

“You Know You’re Right” – Nirvana (song was much more final statement intended than In Utero, which Cobain was having Scott Litt remaster any and all radio singles – or Muddy Banks of the Wishkah if it has to be an album)

Sublime – Sublime

Blind Melon – Soup

Temple of the Dog-Temple of the Dog

Audioslave – Revelations…hahaJOKE

Sleater-Kinney’s The Woods, like, times infinity.

Shame on the Stone for completely missing “Never Mind The Bullocks Here’s The Sex Pistols”, proof that you don’t need a first or a last. You only need one.

Stevie Ray Vaughn “In Step”

Otis Redding “Dictionary Of Soul”

Whiskeytown “Strangers Almanac”

Uncle Tupelo “Anodyne”

Roy Orbison – Mystery Girl

“Cream of the Crop” – The Supremes

Van Halen III

Oh sorry, wrong list.

When do you run the worst last album list?

Roy Orbison – Mystery Girl
Sleater-Kinney – on the woods
Phish – undermind
Sunny Day Real Estate – the rising tide
Ben Folds Five – The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner

Abbey Road for sure.
In Utero and Synchronicity are no-brainers.

A personal choice – Last Time Around by Bufalo Springfield

led zeppelin – in through the out door
soundgarden – down on the upside
nirvana – in utero
hendrix – electric lady land
minor threat – out of step

L.A. Woman by the Doors!

Vanilla Ice – Mind Blowin’

Gotta be Synchronicity by The Police.

One of the best albums ever made and it turned them into the biggest band on the planet and one of the biggest of all-time. Every Breath you Take, King of Pain, Synchronicity… Much different than their previous stuff but its just an awesome album.