Our 10 Favorite Final Albums Released By Classic Rock Artists

10 Best Final Albums Released By Classic Rock Artists

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Our 12 Best Final Albums From Classic Rock Artists list is an attempt to highlight some of the best albums ever released as a final studio statement by an artist or a defining band lineup. Of course, our favorite artists have released hundreds of great rock and roll records as their final say. Nonetheless, this list will look at just twelve. Twelve really good ones!

We did set some rules and parameters for this one. We do not include reissues, live albums, compilations, etc. For band entries, at least two original members should have remained in the group. A couple of these selections represent the final studio album made by a defining lineup rather than the final studio album ever released under the band’s name. We think that’s fair.

We took it to 12 instead of 10……

# 12 – L.A. Woman – The Doors

With songs like “Love Her Madly,” “Riders on the Storm,” and, of course, “L.A. Woman,” this was an album we have played hundreds of times since it was first released. Jim Morrison’s final studio album with the Doors received mixed reviews from many, but it’s one of our all-time favorites. The Doors continued after Morrison’s death with Other Voices and Full Circle, but L.A. Woman was the final studio album made by the original four-man lineup of Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore.

# 11 – Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker

Leonard Cohen was a genius on a level that not many could ever approach, and I dearly loved this man’s music, especially his touching and ultra-brilliant lyrics and poetry. As his life continued into old age, he did a few almost song-speak albums in his deep, lilting voice. That period from Old Ideas to the end was the most touching and beautiful of all for me. On You Want It Darker, released in 2016, Cohen worked closely with his son Adam, who produced the album as his father’s health declined.

Unfortunately, shortly after this album was released to massively appreciative reviews, Cohen died in his sleep following a fall at his Los Angeles home. While it doesn’t count for this list because it was completed and released posthumously, there were enough vocal and musical sketches for his son Adam and a group of collaborators to complete another somewhat shorter album, Thanks for the Dance, released in 2019, and it is jaw-dropping.

# 10 – Motörhead – Bad Magic

Bassist, vocalist, and leader Lemmy Kilmister was dealing with serious health problems by the time Bad Magic was released in 2015. But nothing stopped him from rock and rolling, and the last Motörhead studio album was just as biting and brutal as any other album in this band’s history. A man who hollers “Victory or Die!” to start off a bruiser of an album is one in my book to be admired.

The last cut is the most attractive single track: a cutting, pounding version of the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.” It even made it into a few TV commercials. But this belongs here because while it was nothing new, it is still a hair-curling rock and roll album. There have been posthumous releases, an album of covers, and a live album released not long after his death, Clean Your Clock. It’s not as furious as No Sleep ’til Hammersmith, 35 years earlier, but it still rocks in fine live fashion.

# 9 – David Bowie – Blackstar

Blackstar (Vinyl LP, 180g) - European Edition

Blackstar was David Bowie’s twenty-fifth and final studio album. It was released on January 8, 2016. The album’s release coincided with Bowie’s 69th birthday and, tragically, just two days before his death. When David Bowie died just two days after the album was released, it made it very difficult to listen to this album. It was an album that was both beautiful and incredibly haunting. David Bowie knew he was dying, and listening to him sing about it was sometimes challenging. Blackstar features talented jazz musicians: saxophonist Donny McCaslin, pianist Jason Lindner, bassist Tim Lefebvre, drummer Mark Guiliana, and guitarist Ben Monder. This ensemble brought a unique and fresh approach to Bowie’s music, infusing it with a distinct jazz influence. It’s a brilliant record. Songs like “Blackstar” and “Lazarus” would become some of his best work ever released.

# 8 – The Police – Synchronicity

The Police were unique, mixing reggae and punk in their early years, and they were stellar musicians: Sting on vocals and bass; guitarist extraordinaire Andy Summers, who created some of the most fabulous tones ever with his Telecaster; and Stewart Copeland, a drummer of such dexterity it was scary. But the Police would only last five studio albums, a short time for a wildly popular band, and they did not get along very well, either. What made the last album, Synchronicity, so good was how the band kept exploring new territories with every album and finally created one of pop rock’s most unique, genius-level albums.

The hits were, and still are, played heavily, with “King of Pain,” “Wrapped Around Your Finger,” “Every Breath You Take,” and “Synchronicity II.” It’s still sounding fresh and a delight to hear. The band members have also done their share of solo albums, and I particularly like Andy Summers’ albums, which are nothing like the Police but still very much Andy Summers.

# 7 – Rush – Clockwork Angels

They didn’t know this would be their last studio album, but as rich and touching as it is, following up Clockwork Angels is probably unthinkable. The final song, “The Garden,” is one of hard rock’s most moving songs and a perfect end to one of the world’s most adored bands.

# 6 – Slayer – Repentless

That’s not even a word, but what makes this album crucial is that it arrived after the death of original lead guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who wrote much of Slayer’s most infamous material. Gary Holt of Exodus stepped in on guitar, while Paul Bostaph returned on drums. The album is pure Slayer – brutal, ultra-fast, borderline death metal. Three years later, Slayer launched what was billed as their Final World Tour, which concluded in 2019. The band later returned for select live appearances, but Repentless remains Slayer’s final studio album.

# 5 – Led Zeppelin – In Through the Out Door

While some Led Zeppelin fans weren’t happy with this release at first, time has proven it was truly a great Led Zeppelin album. For many reasons, John Paul Jones came to the forefront more than ever on a Led Zeppelin studio album. No longer as rooted in the blues as on the first two albums, the band had matured, and with songs like “In the Evening” and the hit “All My Love,” they showed they could write classy tunes as well.

“Hot Dog” was a favorite, as was “Carouselambra,” an innovative tune that wouldn’t have been out of place on Physical Graffiti. It was a bit more layered and had some actual dancing-style hints of rhythm, but still, it was Led Zeppelin. However, the death of drummer John Bonham hit everybody hard. The band wasted no time announcing its demise and stuck to it. The last song, a very slow one but one of the most emotional blues songs the band ever recorded, “I’m Gonna Crawl,” closed the final studio album Led Zeppelin recorded before Bonham’s death. The later album Coda collected previously unreleased studio recordings from earlier sessions.

# 4 – Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Step

This was his recovery album, following a period in which SRV had battled a severe cocaine and alcohol addiction. The album was brimming with positivity and presented some of his best playing. It contained a beautiful instrumental, “Riviera Paradise,” that closed down the album. It was such a tragedy to lose Stevie Ray Vaughan in a helicopter accident. His career was so short, just like Hendrix. Stevie Ray Vaughan would only live long enough with his band Double Trouble to release four studio albums, and then one with his brother Jimmie called Family Style.

# 3 – Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland

Now, when dealing with Hendrix’s history, we have some difficulty. First, most people think of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and rightly so, since that band had the most hits and did the most touring. Some might argue that Jimi’s last album was Band of Gypsys, but I settled on the Experience because I excluded live albums. This means excluding some outstanding records, but we’re talking about studio finales. Electric Ladyland was the third and final studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Hendrix continued recording extensively afterward and later opened the famous Electric Lady Studios in New York. His cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” just may be the greatest recorded version of a Bob Dylan song of all time.

# 2 – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Street Survivors

It’s sad that some of the band’s final albums on this list were never meant to be final. Like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lynyrd Skynyrd was shifting directions a bit with the addition of guitarist Steve Gaines. That shift was displayed on Street Survivors in songs like “That Smell” and “I Never Dreamed.” Their old sound was still evident in songs like “What’s Your Name.” Street Survivors was the band’s best studio album. They seemed destined to do something really special. Released just three days before the 1977 plane crash, it became the final studio album of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s pre-crash era and the last to feature Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins. I was 15 when the plane went down. I think I can speak for many fans when I say it still hurts.

# 1 – The Beatles – Abbey Road

Abbey Road is nearly unfathomable in its greatness, even more so as the individuals no doubt struggled with each other while putting this masterpiece together. Although Let It Be was released later in 1970, Abbey Road was the final album John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr recorded together as a band. Some like to criticize “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” and “Octopus’s Garden,” but for my money, they were intended to be somewhat silly or, in the case of “Octopus’s Garden,” like “Yellow Submarine,” geared toward kids, and there is nothing there to criticize. Plenty of adult material soon follows, including Paul’s incredibly soulful “Oh! Darling,” which was the heaviest Beatles song ever.

George gave the world two incredible songs and proved himself every bit the talent Paul and John had, with “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun,” which were two great Harrison tunes and two of the best Beatles songs and rock songs in history. And the medley – McCartney supposedly orchestrated this masterwork, got Ringo a solo drum moment, and weaved together a tapestry of gold, especially “Golden Slumbers” and “The End,” with its delightful jam so beautifully ending an album and a band no other band will ever match.