If you’re in the mood for some rock album trilogies that can’t be beaten, these five sets of albums are worth exploring in depth. Keep in mind that some of these musicians may not have intended for the following albums to be seen as trilogies, but fans often refer to them as such. And they’re definitely well-loved by those fans decades after they were released!
1. ‘McCartney’ (1970), ‘McCartney II’ (1980), and ‘McCartney III’ (2020) by Paul McCartney
Few rock album trilogies have as much time between them as Paul McCartney’s trio of solo records. The latter album came out 40 years after the second. In a way, that’s part of why these albums are so good as a trilogy. He released plenty of albums between each of them, but his self-titled works seem like they are meant to be enjoyed as a trilogy. Some of his best songwriting is on all three of these records, and they all seem to come from the perspective of a calmed-down man looking inward.
2. ‘Bring It All Back Home’ (1965), ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ (1965), and ‘Blonde On Blonde’ (1966) by Bob Dylan
These three albums from Bob Dylan are the opposite of McCartney’s trio, in a way. Where decades padded each self-titled album from McCartney, Bob Dylan released his “trilogy” in full within 14 months. These three albums are some of his most electric and very best. One could say he released three albums that changed the world of music in little more than a year. That’s quite a feat, and we wouldn’t expect less from Dylan.
3. ‘Low’ (1977), ‘Heroes’ (1977), and ‘Lodger’ (1979) by David Bowie
The Berlin Trilogy of albums was named after David Bowie and Iggy Pop’s move to the capital of Germany, where both artists found a whole new well of creativity. The move seemed to affect Bowie on a spiritual level, resulting in three now-legendary albums that are some of the most experimental and unique works of his career.
4. ‘Fleetwood Mac’ (1975), ‘Rumours’ (1977), and ‘Tusk’ (1979) by Fleetwood Mac
For those who aren’t exactly megafans of Fleetwood Mac, Rumours might stand out as their only noteworthy album. However, despite the lack of success with Tusk and the relative unknown of their second (yes, second) self-titled album, the whole of this trilogy is brilliant folk-rock work. Again, we’re speaking for those who aren’t big Fleetwood Mac fans. For those that are, it’s wild to think of these three albums as anything other than a genre-breaking, genius trilogy.
5. ‘Songs Of Leonard Cohen’ (1967), ‘Songs From A Room’ (1969), and ‘Songs Of Love And Hate’ (1971) by Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen was a poet before he was a musician, and we’re glad he made the right move. These three albums are amazing, likely due in part to the fact that Cohen probably had a massive catalog of words to put into song. They sound natural, potent, and brutal. Each of these individual albums stands strong on their own, but they are also a real treat to hear together.
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