List of rock operas (albums)

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Following is a list of rock opera albums, listed by year. This list does not include song cycles or select concept albums that have some of the characteristics of rock operas.

This song or music-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

1 1960s
2 1970s
3 1980s
4 1990s
5 2000s
6 See also

[edit] 1960s

The Beach Boys, SMiLE (1967) (not released until 2004, when reconceptualized and re-recorded by Brian Wilson)
Nirvana, The Story Of Simon Simopath (1967). The original band named Nirvana created this 40-minute album described on its album jacket as a "science-fiction pantomime". The gatefold jacket included a detailed storyline of the opus. It was produced by rock impresario Chris Blackwell and released on his Island Records label in September 1967. Pentecost Hotel (one of the songs from the album) was cited by Pete Townshend in Uncut Magazine in 2004 as one of the songs that inspired his rock opera Tommy and included on the CD of Tommy influences compiled by Townshend to accompany the magazine.
People!, I Love You (1968) (Capitol ST-2924) contains 15 minutes of The Epic, claimed to be the first rock opera by Larry Norman. A more comprehensive compilation is available on Best Of People! Vol 1 - 40 Year Anniversary (CD-SRP-001). (http://www.merchantmanager.com/phydeaux/MM003.ASP?pageno=27)
The Who, A Quick One While He's Away (1968) a 9-minute suite of songs, appearing on the album A Quick One, that was Pete Townsend's first published venture into rock-opera territory. Townsend began and abandoned an earlier rock-opera-like project called Quads, which did, however, produce the song I'm a Boy. The suite relates a story of infidelity and forgiveness similar to the first events in the later-produced Tommy.
The Electric Prunes, Mass in F Minor (1968)
Pretty Things, S.F. Sorrow (1968) A critically-acclaimed album that was not commecially successful. Released a few months prior to The Who's Tommy album.
The Who, Tommy (1969): The album which arguably popularized the term rock opera. Later a movie (in the 1970s) and a Broadway production (in the 1990s).
The Kinks, Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (1969): This innovative rock opera was released in November 1969; it was originally intended as the basis for a BBC television musical which never came to be. Although the album's significance was initially eclipsed by Tommy, over the decades its reputation has grown and some even consider it the first 'true' rock opera.

[edit] 1970s

Bruce Springsteen, Born To Run (1975) : A fictional tale of Springsteen's Jersey homeland, with tales of betrayal, petty crime, and gang warfare. Although the tracks are not present in the way of a classic rock opera, it is still clear what the story is about.
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jesus Christ Superstar (1970)
Smoke Rise and James Lineberger, The Survival of St. Joan (1971)
Ray Ruff, Truth of Truths - A Contemporary Rock Opera based on the Bible. Prophecies of the Coming of the End of the World (http://www.one-way.org/jesusmusic/comp.htm). A 26 song double-lp rock opera musical from creation to the second coming. Jim Backus (the voice of the animated Mr. Magoo character and Mr. Howell on television's Gilligan's Island sitcom) was cast as the voice of God.
David Bowie, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
Father John O'Reilly and The Contemporary Mission, Virgin (1972)
Stephen Schwartz, Pippin (1972)
The Who, Quadrophenia (1973)
The Kinks, Preservation Act 1 (1973) and Preservation Act 2 (1974)
Genesis, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974): Famous prog-rock opera.
David Bowie, Diamond Dogs (1974): originally written as a rock opera version of George Orwell's novel 1984, but Bowie was denied the rights to produce it by Orwell's estate. He used the completed tracks on Diamond Dogs without alteration
Alexander Zhurbin, Orpheus and Eurydice (1975)
Alice Cooper, Welcome to My Nightmare (1975) - the story of the young boy Steven, whom is taken on a journey through nightmares.
The Kinks, Soap Opera (1975)
The Kinks, Schoolboys in Disgrace (1975)
Queen, A Night at the Opera (1975) - a parody of a rock opera.
Rush, 2112 (1976): tells a dystopic story set in the year 2112.
Rush, Hemispheres (1978): a story about a ship that encounters an epic battle between the gods of love and evil. It is a continuation of Cygnus X-1 where the ship is transported through a black hole to the place where the battle is taking place.
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Evita (1976)
Meat Loaf, Bat Out of Hell (1977): a modernized adaptation of Peter Pan similar to West Side Story's treatment of Romeo and Juliet. It was never staged and only the album was released. However, the tracks are fragments of an earlier musical that the composer/writer (Jim Steinman) of the album had written.
Frank Zappa, Joe's Garage (1979)
Pink Floyd, The Wall (1979): The tale of a rock star, from childhood to mental breakdown. On the album itself, the story is somewhat muddled and unclear; the following movie helped to explain several portions.

[edit] 1980s

KISS, Music From The Elder (1981): A young hero's quest to slay an elf.
The Residents, Mark of the Mole (1981)
Jim Steinman, Bad for Good (1981)
Styx, Kilroy Was Here (1983): In the future, Rock and Roll is against the law. But rebel Jonathon Chance finds the former rock-star Kilroy hiding out in the Paradise Theatre and together, posing as robots, they start the revolution and take down Dr. Righteous for good.
Szorenyi, Levente/Brody,Janos, Istvan a Kiraly (1984)
Pete Townshend, White City (1986): Subtitled "A novel," a video was released in conjunction with this album.
Tom Waits, Frank's Wild Years (1987)
Iron Maiden, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988) By many regarded as the epitome of conceptual heavy metal albums
Kansas and Bob Ezrin, In the Spirit of Things (1988)
The Residents, God in Three Persons (1988)
Queensrÿche, Operation: Mindcrime (1988): A story of love, sex, death, power, religion, corruption, betrayal, greed, and madness.
Pete Townshend, The Iron Man: A Musical (1989): Based on a science fiction story of the same name by Ted Hughes.

[edit] 1990s

Kaleidoscope, White Faced Lady (1991): Recorded in 1970-71, this album is about the life and death of a Marilyn Monroe-inspired character.
Savatage, Streets: A Rock Opera (1991): A musician's rise and fall in New York City.
GWAR, America Must Be Destroyed (1992): After capturing the Cuttlefish of Cthulu from frontman Oderus Urungus, a group called the Morality Squad decides to put an end to the obscene violence and vulgarity that is GWAR. Meanwhile, the mighty Scumdogs deal with their newborn crack-baby dinosaur, Gor-Gor.
GWAR, RagNaRok (1995): In an attempt to escape the planet by hitching a ride on a doomsday comet headed for Earth, frontman Oderus Urungus runs into a group of Greys, who transfer his sperm into fellow Scumdog Slymenstra Hymen; she later gives birth (actually has the baby ripped out) to a crossbred alien-Oderus baby. The comet turns out to be the Holy Warriors of Outer Space, who have come for the alien-baby so they can power the mighty Cardinal Syn.
GWAR, We Kill Everything (1999): After reuniting with his brothers on Earth, mystic Scumdog Scroda Moon tells GWAR of a tablet that, if deciphered, will destroy the planet (which would put GWAR back in space). However, if the tablet itself is destroyed, the Master will come to destroy the world AND GWAR once and for all. Since they smashed the tablet, Scroda helps GWAR get the pieces back by using his inter-dimensional toilet (Portal Potty), Porcelon. GWAR accepts his help under the condition that they can haze him to see if he truly is a Scumdog.
W.A.S.P., The Crimson Idol (1992)
Meat Loaf, Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell (1993): A sequel to Bat Out of Hell written/composed again by Jim Steinman.
Randy Newman, Randy Newman's Faust (1993)
Savatage, Dead Winter Dead (1995): Develops and follows characters in and around the war in Bosnia.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Christmas Eve and Other Stories (1995): Despite its "and Other Stories" title, one single story about an angel that rescues a lonely runaway and returns her home for Christmas.
Ayreon, The Final Experiment (1995): A blind, medieval minstrel receives visions from the future.
Alice Cooper, The Last Temptation (1994): The follow-up to Welcome to My Nightmare. A mysterious showman attempts to make the alienated, young boy Steven join his circus (also available in comic book form). A modern take on the story of when The Devil tempted Jesus Christ. The story was written by Alice Cooper and Neil Gaiman.
Fear Factory, Demanufacture (1995)
Argyle Park, Misguided (1995): A first person narrative that tells its story solely by the thoughts of the narrator. Rather than have the songs explain the events, they simply show the narrator's reaction. It uses industrial music rather than traditional rock. Deals very heavily with themes of betrayal, pain, and confusion.
Edge of Sanity, Crimson (1996): Features a single 40 minute track, telling a story in the distant future when human civilization is about to end.
Iced Earth, The Dark Saga (1996): Tells the origin story of the comic book character Spawn in musical form.
Marilyn Manson, Antichrist Superstar (1996)
Johnathan Larson, Rent (1996): A group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive under the shadow of AIDS.
Mägo de Oz, Jesús de Chamberí (1996): This album tells the story of the new Jesus born on a poor block in Madrid and how he makes his prophecy become real.
Jim Steinman, Tanz der Vampire (1997): A rock opera musical about Vampires, based on the Roman Polanski movie with the same name.
Mike Watt, "Contemplating the Engine Room" (1997): Uses a ship, and Naval life as a metaphor for recounting Watt's first band, Minutemen, with parallels to Watt's Father, who served in the Navy.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra, The Christmas Attic (1998): A young girl, Christmas Eve, an attic of treasures, and magic in the air.
Shadow Gallery, Tyranny (1998): The guilt of a weapons engineer pushes him towards an emotional escape on the internet, leading him to plot an attempt to rectify his past.
Savatage, The Wake of Magellan (1998): Historical and factual, deals with life, love, drugs, suicide, and violence; told mainly form the point of view of an old man who is a descendent of the great explorer, Ferdinand Magellan.
Ayreon, Into the Electric Castle (1998): Several men and women are plucked from different places in history to walk the halls of the fictitious "Electric Castle".
Blind Guardian, Nightfall in Middle Earth (1998): Based on the Fall of the Noldor in J. R. R. Tolkien's Silmarillion.
Marilyn Manson, Mechanical Animals (1998)
Lacrimosa, Elodia (1999): A tragic-love story divided into three acts. An album about love being slowly overwhelmed, separation, murder and a second chance.
Dream Theater, Metropolis Pt 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999): A young man enlists the help of hypnotherapy to go back in time to solve a murder mystery.

[edit] 2000s

Dio, Magica (2000)
Pete Townshend, The Lifehouse Chronicles (2000)
Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Beethoven's Last Night (2000): The story of what might have happened on a stormy night in Vienna when Mephistopheles comes to collect Beethoven's soul, forcing him to make some very difficult choices.
Marilyn Manson, Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) (2000)
Symphony X, V: The New Mythology Suite (2000): According to the Symphony X official website, the story is "based on legends of Atlantis, ancient Egyptian mythology, Astrology and Edgar Cayce's clairvoyant readings about Atlantean culture."
Nikolo Kotzev, Nostradamus (2001): The life of Nostradamus.
Laurence O'Keefe, Bat Boy: The Musical (2001): The tragic adventures of the bizarre cave-dwelling freak from the pages of the Weekly World News. Albums exist for both the Off-Broadway and London West End productions.
Kamelot, Karma (2001)
Drive-By Truckers, Southern Rock Opera (2001): Based on the myths of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and of an Alabama rocker growing up in the 60's and 70's.
Spock's Beard, Snow (2002): A young albino man sets off on his own with a gift that helps him achieve cult-like status.
Coheed and Cambria,Second Stage Turbine Blade (2002): Part two of a four-part, five album story, released out of order. SSTB tells of Coheed and Cambria Kilgannon, Android-like beings who are told that their children must be killed or their universe, the Keywork, will be destroyed.
Loke E Coyote, Druid Four Winds (2002): The world's first Pagan rock opera.
Edge of Sanity, Crimson II (2003): One 43-minute song divided into nine movements detailing the aftermath of the original Crimson album.
Erik Norlander, Music Machine (2003): The dramatic rise and fall of a genetically engineered rock star.
Coheed and Cambria,In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3 (2003): The third of a four-part series, tells of Claudio Kilgannon, last suviving of the four Kilgannon children, and his acceptance of his destiny as the Messiah-like Crowing.
Kamelot, Epica (2003)
The Lawrence Arms, The Greatest Story Ever Told (2003): Follows the tale of a man who ironically runs away from the circus, and the tale of his best friend and fellow circus preformer.
Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Greendale (2003): The story of the Green family (Grandpa, Jed, and Sun)
The Protomen, 'The Protomen' (2005): A different attack to the story of Megaman, who sets out to avenge the death of his brother, Protoman, only to discover that Protoman is still alive, and now serves the very evil he had set out to destroy.
Acda en de Munnik, Ren Lenny Ren (2004)
Trans-Siberian Orchestra, The Lost Christmas Eve (2004): A bitter, aging man whose life was tragically altered many years ago by the birth of his mentally retarded (and now estranged) son is guided back to him and gains greater understanding.
Ayreon, The Human Equation (2004): A comatose patient who barely survived a car crash faces the monsters of his past.
Say Anything, Say Anything is a Real Boy (2004): The story of a boy who is cursed by having all his innermost thoughts and feelings burst forth from him in the form of fully-orchestrated rock anthems. [1]
The Fiery Furnaces, Blueberry Boat, (2004): An indie rock opera from a band highly influenced by The Who.
Green Day, American Idiot (2004): The first "punk-rock opera" is a coming-of-age story revolving around teenager, Jesus of Suburbia, as he searches for identity in a heated political climate. Tells the story of a boy who leaves home to live in the 'underground' (squat) and gets hooked on drugs. Possibly a schizophreniac.
Shadow Gallery, Room V (2005): Continuation of the Tyranny story.
Mae, The Everglow (2005): A young man faces crises of life and faith, set as a storybook narrative.
The What Ifs, The Pizza War (2005): A pizza delivery boy and vice principal wind up in an intergalactic fast food conflict. [2]
Coheed and Cambria,Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (2005): The first half of the last part of the Armory Wars. This is the twist in the story, introducing The Writer, who writes the story of the keywork, and it's ending (Good Apollo Vol. 2) being dependent upon his mental and emotional state after being cheated on by his lover.
Kayak, Nostradamus - Fate of Man (2005): About French author of prophecies Nostradamus.
Kamelot, The Black Halo (2005): Based on Faust by Geothe.
The Fiery Furnaces, Rehearsing My Choir (2005): Featuring the band member's grandmother, tells the story of her life.
Avantasia, The Metal Opera (2001 [part 1], 2002 [part 2]): Tells the story of a Dominican novice, who fulfills the prophecy of an alternate dimension.
Nikolo Kotzev, Nikolo Kotzev's Nostradamus (2001)
Panic! At the Disco, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005): Tells the story of a couple with problems, the woman cheats and the man ruins their wedding and possibly kills her. It is still unsure whether this album is actually telling a story.
Harvey Danger, Little By Little, (2005): Although interpretation is argued by many fans the album roughly tells the story of Sean Nelson’s life on his 3 year hiatus from Harvey Danger.
Ludo , Broken Bride, (2005): A powerful 5-track album which tells the story of a man attempting to go back in time to prevent his lover's death in a car crash, but instead finds himself in the future trying to escape a gruesome apocalypse.
GWAR, Beyond Hell, (2006): After their keep is destroyed by the armies of Man, the brothers of GWAR travel down to the pits of Hell to overthrow Satan and destroy the planet "from within".
Clawjob, Space Crackers (2006): In the future, two young scientists are sent into orbit to discover a solution to global hunger, a plan which is complicated when 50 million ravenous aliens land on Earth, hoping to feed on human flesh.
Meat Loaf,Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose (2006): The final chapter in Meat Loaf's 'Bat Out of Hell' trilogy.
My Chemical Romance, The Black Parade (2006): Centers around the untimely death of a young man known as "the Patient."
Queensrÿche, Operation: Mindcrime II (2006): Follow-up to their album from 1988. Tells the story of Nikki and what happens to him after his 18 years in prison.