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Poll Results: The 10 Greatest Stoner Rock Records


A couple weeks ago, I asked the question above: “What are the 10 greatest stoner rock records?” It was kind of just something I was throwing out there to see what came back. Nothing scientific, pretty vague on what “stoner rock” actually meant as a genre designation. Basically just trying to get a spur-of-the-moment response, like an inkblot test for riffs. First thing that comes to mind.

The response was awesome, so before anything else, thank you to everyone who contributed a list to the original post. I was taken aback by the number of replies that came in — a total 73 comments — and the resultant breadth of records named reads like a wishlist of the damned. Some people were pretty orthodox in their definition of the genre, and some more open in the bands they included, but working from everyone’s lists, I tallied up the votes, and while I don’t necessarily agree with all the choices personally (I added my own list as a comment to the initial post, so I won’t bother reprinting it), it was a blast to see what emerged on top. The people have spoken.

I tried to be as fair as I could in the tallying. There were some comments left that were individual songs and not albums, and those I didn’t count, but everything else went in, even if it was only mentioned once, and when someone said, for example, “Melvins – all,” I actually added a tally to everything by the Melvins that everyone else had said. Again, it’s not really a scientific thing polling demographic data, but it was a lot of fun.

Okay, here’s the list:

The Top 10 Greatest Stoner Rock Records Poll Results:

1. Kyuss, Welcome to Sky Valley (41 votes)
2. Sleep, Sleep’s Holy Mountain (27 votes)
3. Black Sabbath, Master of Reality (19 votes)
4. Kyuss, Blues for the Red Sun (18 votes)
5. Monster Magnet, Spine of God (15 votes)
5. Sleep, Dopesmoker (15 votes)
7. Electric Wizard, Dopethrone (14 votes)
7. Fu Manchu, In Search Of… (14 votes)
9. Queens of the Stone Age, Queens of the Stone Age (12 votes)
10. Fu Manchu, The Action is Go (10 votes)

As you can see, some real classics in there, and Welcome to Sky Valley was far and away the winner, picked by 41 out of the 73 people (myself included), with Sleep and Black Sabbath behind. There were two ties at numbers five and seven, but beyond that, it’s a pretty clear picture of where people are at with their favorites.

What about everything else? Well, it was all counted. I broke all the entries down by number of votes and listed them by artist with albums in chronological order.

You’ll find the complete list after the jump.

Nine Votes:

Brant Bjork, Jalamanta
Elder, Dead Roots Stirring
High on Fire, The Art of Self-Defense

Eight Votes:

Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath, Paranoid
Electric Wizard, Come My Fanatics

Seven Votes:

Acid King, Busse Woods
Monster Magnet, Dopes to Infinity

Six Votes:

Black Sabbath, Vol. 4
Colour Haze, Tempel
Dozer, Through the Eyes of Heathens
Down, Nola
Fu Manchu, King of the Road
Goatsnake, I
Nebula, To the Center

Five Votes:

Acid King, 3
Acrimony, Tumuli Shroomaroom
Blue Cheer, Vincebus Eruptum
Corrosion of Conformity, Deliverance
Graveyard, Hisingen Blues
Kyuss, And the Circus Leaves Town
Lowrider, Ode to Io
Melvins, Houdini
Orange Goblin, Time Travelling Blues
Queens of the Stone Age, Songs for the Deaf
Spirit Caravan, Jug Fulla Sun

Four Votes:

Captain Beyond, Captain Beyond
Colour Haze, Colour Haze
Dozer, In the Tail of a Comet
Goatsnake, Flower Of Disease
Melvins, Bullhead
Melvins, Stoner Witch
Natas, Delmar
Orange Goblin, The Big Black
Pentagram, First Daze Here
Sungrazer, Sungrazer
Truckfighters, Gravity X

Three Votes:

Astroqueen, Into Submission
Colour Haze, Los sounds de Krauts
Deep Purple, Machine Head
Graveyard, Graveyard
Greenleaf, Agents of Ahriman
Karma to Burn, Almost Heathen
Karma to Burn, Wild Wonderful Purgatory
Mammatus, The Coast Explodes
Natas, Ciudad de Brahman
Shrinebuilder, Shrinebuilder
Suplecs, Sad Songs… Better Days
Unida, Coping with the Urban Coyote
Witchcraft, Witchcraft
YOB, Catharsis

Two Votes:

Alabama Thunderpussy, Fulton Hill
The Atomic Bitchwax, The Atomic Bitchwax
Bongzilla, Gateway
Boris, Heavy Rocks
Che, Sounds of Liberation
Church Of Misery, Master Of Brutality
Clutch, Clutch
Clutch, Blast Tyrant
Dead Meadow, Shivering King and Others
Deep Purple, Deep Purple in Rock
Dixie Witch, Into the Sun
Down, Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow
Down, Down III: Over the Under
Dozer, Madre de Dios
Grand Funk Railroad, Grand Funk Railroad
Hawkwind, Space Ritual
Leaf Hound, Growers of Mushroom
Led Zeppelin, 4
Lo-Pan, Sasquanaut
Melvins, Lysol
Monster Magnet, Superjudge
Mountain, Climbing
Nebula, Charged
The Obsessed, The Church Within
Queens of the Stone Age, Rated R
Quest for Fire, Lights from Paradise
Roadsaw, Nationwide
Saint Vitus, Born too Late
Sgt. Sunshine, Sgt. Sunshine
Snail, Blood
Solace, 13
Solace, A.D.
The Stooges, Fun House
The Sword, Gods of the Earth
35007, Liquid
Ufomammut, Eve
Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Blood Lust
Witch, Witch
Witchcraft, The Alchemist
Yawning Man, Rock Formations
Zoroaster, Matador

One Vote:

Acrimony, Hymns to the Stone
Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, Don’t Hear it… Fear it!
Alice in Chains, Facelift
Amon Düül II, Wolf City
Amon Düül II, Yeti
Amplifier, Amplifier
Ancestors, Neptune with Fire
Aquilonian, Aquilonian/Sollubi Split
Asteroid, EP
Asteroid, Asteroid
Asteroid, II
Astrosoniq, Made in Oss
The Atomic Bitchwax, II
The Atomic Bitchwax, Boxriff
Baby Woodrose, Blows Your Mind
Bardo Pond, Lapsed
Baroness, Red
Beastwars, Beastwars
Beatles, Revolver
Beaver, Mobile
Belzebong, Sonic Scapes and Weedy Groves
Bigelf, Closer to Doom
Bigelf, Hex
The Black Angels, Passover
Black Mountain, In the Future
Black Pyramid, Black Pyramid
Black Sabbath, Sabotage
Black Sabbath, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Black Sabbath, Mob Rules
Blind Dog, The Last Adventures of Captain Dog
Blind Dog, Captain Dog Rides Again
Blood Farmers, Permanent Brain Damage
Blue Cheer, Outside/Inside
Blue Öyster Cult, Secret Treaties
Bongzilla, Amerijuanican
Born to Hula, Tales of Love
Borracho, Splitting Sky
Brant Bjork and the Bros, Saved by Magic
Budgie, Budgie
Budgie, In for the Kill
Buried Inside, Spoils of Failure
Butthole Surfers, Locust Abortion Technician
Butthole Surfers, Hairway to Steven
El Caco, Viva
Cactus, Cactus
Cactus, One Way or Another
Catapult the Smoke, Born in Fire
Cathedral, The Ethereal Mirror
Causa Sui, Free Ride
Causa Sui, Summer Sessions
Cavity, Supercollider
Celtic Frost, Morbid Tales
Church of Misery, Houses of the Unholy
Cirith Ungol, King of the Dead
Clutch, Pure Rock Fury
Colour Haze, Periscope
Colour Haze, All
Core, The Hustle is On
Cowboys and Aliens, A Trip to Stonehenge Colony
Cream, Disraeli Gears
Crowbar, Time Heals Nothing
Cuda, Hellfire
Dawnbringer, Nucleus
Dead Meadow, Dead Meadow
Dead Meadow, Feathers
The Deep Blue, Sun Worshiper
Desert Sessions, Vol. 1 & 2
Diesto, High as the Sun
The Doors, L.A. Woman
Dozer/Unida, Split
Drunk Horse, Adult Situations
Earth, Hibernaculum
Earthless, Sonic Prayer
Earthless, Rhythms from a Cosmic Sky
Egypt, Egypt
Elder, Elder
Electric Moon, Flaming Lake
Electric Wizard, Witchcult Today
Eternal Elysium, Searching High and Low
Eternal Elysium, Spiritualized D
Fatso Jetson, Stinky Little Gods
Fatso Jetson, Toasted
Fatso Jetson, Archaic Volumes
Flaming Lips, Hit to Death in the Future Head
Flaming Lips, Transmissions from the Satellite Heart
Flower Travellin’ Band, Satori
Fu Manchu, No One Rides for Free
Fu Manchu, California Crossing
Gas Giant, Pleasant Journey in Heavy Tunes
Grand Funk Railroad, Closer to Home
Green and Wood, Green and Wood
Ed Hall, Gloryhole
Ed Hall, Motherscratcher
Ed Hall, La La Land
Hangnail, 10 Days Before Summer
Hawkwind, In Search of Space
Hellbender, Occult 45
The Hidden Hand, Mother Teacher Destroyer
The Hidden Hand, The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote
Holy Mount, Holy Mount
Humble Pie, Smokin’
Humble Pie, Performance Rockin’ the Fillmore
Husky, The Sea King
Iota, Tales
Iron Monkey, Iron Monkey
Jex Thoth, Jex Thoth
Jimi Hendrix, Electric Ladyland
Josiah, Josiah
Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin, II
Led Zeppelin, III
The Linus Pauling Quartet, C6H8O6
The Linus Pauling Quartet, All Things are Light
LOOP, Heaven’s End
Lo-Pan, Salvador
The Machine, Drie
The Machine, Calmer than You Are
Mammatus, Mammatus
Mammoth Volume, Noara Dance
Mars Red Sky, Mars Red Sky
Master’s Apprentices, Choice Cuts
Masters of Reality, Masters of Reality
Masters of Reality, Sunrise on the Sufferbus
Masters of Reality, Welcome to the Western Lodge
Mercyful Fate, Melissa
The Mike Gunn, Hemp For Victory
The Mike Gunn, Durban Poison
The Mike Gunn, Almaron
The Mike Gunn, Coduh
The Mike Gunn, Book Of Zogg / Dream Of Jim
Monkey3, Monkey3
Monster Magnet, Monster Magnet
Mos Generator, Late Great Planet Earth
Mudhoney, Mudhoney
Mystic Krewe of Clearlight, Mystic Krewe of Clearlight
Naam, Kingdom
Los Natas, Corsario Negro
Los Natas, Toba Trance
Nazareth, Hair of the Dog
Nebula, Let it Burn
Nebula, Atomic Ritual
The Obsessed, Lunar Womb
Om, Variations on a Theme
Om, Conference of the Birds
Om, God is Good
Only Living Witness, Innocents
On Trial, 70 kilometers of underwater Nothingness, Kaptain
Pentagram, Relentless
Pentagram, Review Your Choices
Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon
Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd, Obscured by Clouds
Pink Floyd, More
Planks, Funeral Mouth
Rainbow, Rising
Red Fang, Murder the Mountains
Red Giant, Ultra Magnetic Glowing Sound
Red Giant, Devil Child Blues
Rotor, 2
Rotor, 3
Rush, 2112
Salvador, Cleansed through Fire and Blood
Samsara Blues Experiment, Long-Distance Trip
Sasquatch, III
Shock Radar, Generator
Sir Lord Baltimore, Kingdom Come
Slo Burn, Amusing the Amazing
Sofa King Killer, Midnight Magic
Solace, Further
Solarized, Neaderthal Speedway
Sons of Otis, Spacejumbofudge
Soundgarden, Screaming Life
Souvenir’s Young America, An Ocean Without Water
Spacemen 3, The Perfect Prescription
Spiritual Beggars, Ad Astra
Spiritual Beggars, On Fire
Starchild, Starchild
Steppenwolf, Steppenwolf
Stone Axe, Stone Axe
Stone Garden, Stone Garden
Stonebride, Inner Seasons
Stoned Jesus, First Communion
The Stooges, The Stooges
Sunnshine, Volume
Suplecs, Wrestlin’ with my Ladyfriend
Suplecs, Powtin’ on the Outside, Pawty on the Inside
The Sword, Age of Winters
35007, Especially for You
Thulsa Doom, The Seats are Soft but the Helmet is Way too Tight
Thumlock, Emerald Liquid Odyssey
Tia Carrera, Heaven/Hell
Tolmunud Mesipuu, Puusse Panen
Toner Low, Toner Low
Tool, Undertow
Tool, Aenima
Treasure Cat, Choice Cuts
Trouble, The Skull
Trouble, Manic Frustration
Truckfighters vs. Firestone, Fuzzsplit of the Century
Ufomammut, Oro
Venom, Black Metal
Warhorse, As Heaven Turns to Ash
WE/Gas Giant, Riding the Red Horse to the Last Stronghold of the Freaks
WE, Dinosauric Futurobic
Weedeater, 16 Tons
Weird Owl, Build Your Beast a Fire
Windhand, Windhand
Wooden Shjips, Dos
Yawning Man, Nomadic Pursuits
Yes, Fragile
YOB, Elaborations of Carbon
YOB, The Unreal Never Lived
ZZ Top, Tres Hombres

Apologies for any discrepancies in spelling, chronology of albums, etc., and thanks again to everyone who contributed to the list!

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14 Responses to “Poll Results: The 10 Greatest Stoner Rock Records”

  1. Recluse says:

    The top ten is very solid –It’s all rather obvious but you can’t really dispute the classic status of any of those albums either.

    The one thing I find really surprising is the lack of votes Clutch got –five votes spread across three albums, if I’m reading the numbers correctly. I would have thought either self-titled or “Blast Tyrant” could have managed that total by their lonesome.

  2. Friek Levels says:

    I personally left out Clutch as they are superduperbeyondjustgreat but not really the typical downtuned heavy stoner. I think of them more of a heavy blues-band. So let’s make a heavy-blues-band-top-ten then :P

    Top-ten really lists the essentials tho: 2x Kyuss, 2x Sleep, 2x Fu Manchu. As if I expected something else :)

  3. deaconcrowe says:

    Surprised Clutch didn’t make the cut either and it defies logic that anything could be ahead of “Master of Reality” (or any of the first 6 Sabbath records) because without it, there would be no “stoner rock.”

  4. goAt says:

    This is the ULTIMATE check list, the whole damn thing….NICE!

    Clutch merit their own debate…Blast Tyrant vs. Pure Rock Fury? :)

  5. Mike Hunt says:

    I always thought Black Sabbath was a metal band. I guess I’ve been wrong all these years. Black Sabbath is a stoner rock band.

  6. deaconcrowe says:

    To goAT……Blast Tyrant wins by the slimmest of margins imo.

  7. goAt says:

    Indeed Mr. Deaconcrowe, INDEED.

  8. Fucking Stoner says:

    Fucking wankers! Get High or Die!
    And please stop namne dropping the
    Past every fucking time the name
    “stonerrock” comes up! Think wider
    For fuck sake!

    Peace

  9. goAt says:

    ^Pretty aggro for a “fucking stoner”, there guvnah.

  10. freakboyAT/LT says:

    new to the term “stoner rock”. found Elder last year and their music is in constant rotation with me now. They led me to some of the other bands in top ten…and this site.
    I must check out fu mancu next. How can they possibly be higher than Sabbath Vol 4. must be good stuff.
    how sabbath only has 1 in top ten is beyond me.

  11. Sam says:

    How’s about a reader vote for best album of the year at the end of each year when you are doing your own. Be interested to see what The People have been digging.

  12. Sam says:

    Cheers. Missed that.

  13. Dave says:

    Did everyone just get one vote for their favourite or 10 votes for top 10. That would move a few of the albums around. I’d imagine Kyuss – Circus leaves town should be in everyones individual top 10 but perhaps not everyones number 1. I’ve personally never bothered to check out Sleep but will have to do it now. How can Fu Manchu king of the road get six votes – that album brings nothing to the table here! I’m seeing no Celestial Season here people – do yourself a favour!

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