Classic Albums (1997)

Documentary · Music

A documentary series about pop and rock albums that are considered the best or most distinctive of a well-known band or musician or that exemplify a stage in the history of music.

IMDb rating: 8.4 (401 votes)
Episode average: 7.5 -0.9 vs IMDb
Seasons: 8
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Rating trend: this show's seasons do not settle into one shape. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well.

Browse shows by rating shape → Open in Rising Shows app → View on IMDb

Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 8 seasons indexed

Seasons

Season 1 (1997)

7.65 avg 6 episodes 7.4 → 7.7 70 min avg

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Paul Simon: Graceland	7.4	236
2	The Grateful Dead: Anthem to Beauty	7.6	216
3	Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life	7.5	118
4	The Band: The Band	7.9	248
5	Jimi Hendrix Experience: Electric Ladyland	7.8	347
6	Fleetwood Mac: Rumours	7.7	550

Season 2 (1999)

7.43 avg 6 episodes 7.4 → 7.6 60 min avg

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	U2: The Joshua Tree	7.4	523
2	Phil Collins: Face Value	7.0	226
3	Meat Loaf: Bat Out of Hell	7.7	326
4	Bob Marley & the Wailers: Catch a Fire	7.1	260
5	Steely Dan: Aja	7.8	345
6	The Who: Who's Next	7.6	444

Season 3 (2001)

7.55 avg 6 episodes 8.0 → 7.4 80 min avg

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Iron Maiden: The Number of the Beast	8.0	543
2	Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road	7.5	267
3	Metallica: The Black Album	7.6	818
4	Lou Reed: Transformer	7.4	265
5	Elvis Presley: Elvis Presley	7.4	172
6	Judas Priest: British Steel	7.4	235

Season 4 (2002)

7.63 avg 3 episodes 7.6 → 7.5 78 min avg

Season 4 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Sex Pistols: Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols	7.6	285
2	Deep Purple: Machine Head	7.8	355
3	Def Leppard: Hysteria	7.5	262

Season 6 (2005)

7.55 avg 4 episodes 6.8 → 8.0 68 min avg

Big finale

Season 6 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Simply Red: Stars	6.8	39
2	Nirvana: Nevermind	7.9	693
3	Motörhead: Ace of Spades	7.5	188
4	Queen: A Night at the Opera	8.0	478

Season 9 (2008)

7.57 avg 3 episodes 8.2 → 7.0 54 min avg

Declining

Season 9 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Doors: The Doors	8.2	164
2	John Lennon: Plastic Ono Band	7.5	161
3	Duran Duran: Rio	7.0	132

Season 10 (2010)

7.75 avg 4 episodes 7.9 → 7.5 57 min avg

Season 10 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Black Sabbath: Paranoid	7.9	581
2	Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Damn the Torpedoes	7.4	174
3	Rush: 2112/Moving Pictures	8.2	139
4	The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds	7.5	140

Season 18 (2021)

7.37 avg 6 episodes 7.4 → 7.7 48 min avg

Season 18 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Who: The Who Sell Out	7.4	32
2	Soul II Soul: Club Classics Vol. One	7.4	18
3	Suede: Coming Up	6.7	20
4	Gil Scott-Heron: Pieces Of A Man	7.5	30
5	The Doors: Morrison Hotel	7.5	82
6	The Mothers of Invention: Freak Out!	7.7	36