The Big 50: WPDH Album of the Week

As part of WPDH's 50th anniversary celebration, we've been asking listeners for their favorite rock albums of all time. This weekend we'll feature Led Zeppelin 'Physical Graffiti'.

WPDH is compiling a list of listener favorite albums (a top 50) to be featured each week as the WPDH Album of the Week for our 50th anniversary. For the past 50 years, WPDH has been your home for the greatest rock music ever recorded. From cranking up the volume on your morning commute to soundtracking unforgettable moments in your life, classic rock has been there every step of the way. Now it’s time to celebrate five whole decades on the air. WPDH Album of the Week is brought to you by Tasca Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Fiat of Kingston at TASCA you will be satisfied!

Also See: Tell Us Your Favorite Albums from the Past 50 Years for WPDH's 50th Anniversary!

Albums That Defined Eras

Over the past half-century, classic rock has delivered some of the most iconic albums of all time. Records like Rumours by Fleetwood Mac captured raw emotion and unforgettable melodies, while Pink Floyd’s The Wall pushed the boundaries of concept albums and arena-sized ambition. AC/DC’s Back in Black became a thunderous comeback and one of the best-selling albums in history, and Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. turned blue-collar stories into stadium anthems.

Submit your favorite albums here for inclusion for the WPDH Album of the Week. This week its Kiss 'Destroyer' from start to finish.

Week 10 and 11 3/15/26 3/22/26: Led Zeppelin 'Physical Graffiti'

Released on February 24, 1975, Physical Graffiti is Led Zeppelin's sixth studio album and widely acclaimed 15-track double album. It was the first release on their own Swan Song label and featured a mix of new material, including the epic "Kashmir" and unreleased outtakes from previous albums. It is considered a peak artistic achievement.

The album was a commercial and critical success, having built up a huge advance order following the delayed release date, and when eventually issued it reached No. 1 in the UK charts. In the US, it debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, rising to No. 1 the following week and staying there for six weeks. Physical Graffiti has since proven to be one of the most popular releases by the group, shipping 8 million copies in the United States. It was the first album to go platinum on advance orders alone. Shortly after its release, all previous Led Zeppelin albums simultaneously re-entered the top-200 album chart. We'll play 'Physical Graffiti' from Led Zeppelin in two parts this  Sunday night and next Sunday at 11pm.

Week 9 3/8/26: The Beatles 'Rubber Soul'

Released on December 3, 1965, Rubber Soul is the Beatles' sixth album, marking a pivotal shift from pop-rock to a more sophisticated folk-rock sound, mature songwriting, and experimental studio production. Recorded in just four weeks without touring commitments, it introduced new instrumentation like the sitar and featured deeper, more introspective lyrics, setting the stage for their later, more complex work.

Rubber Soul was a massive commercial success, topping charts worldwide, including a 6-week run at #1 on the US Billboard chart (starting Jan 8, 1966) and an 8-week run in the UK. In the U.S., it sold 1.2 million copies in just nine days. The album spent 59 weeks on the US chart, and over 8.5 million copies have been moved, with the RIAA certifying it 6× platinum featuring classics like classics like "In My Life," "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), and "Nowhere Man". We'll play 'Rubber Soul' from the Beatles in its entirety Sunday night at 11pm.

Week 8 3/1/26: Pink Floyd 'Dark Side of the Moon '

Released on March 1, 1973, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon is a landmark concept album exploring madness, conflict, greed, time, and mental health. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, it is renowned for its seamless transitions, pioneering use of sound effects, and 14-year run on the Billboard chart.

The Dark Side of the Moon became one of the best-selling albums of all time and is in the top 25 of a list of best-selling albums in the United States. Although it held the number one spot in the US for only a week, it remained in the Billboard 200 albums chart for 736 nonconsecutive weeks (from 17 March 1973 to 16 July 1988). The album has sold an estimated 45 million copies worldwide. We'll play 'Dark Side of the Moon' from Pink Floyd in its entirety Sunday night at 11pm.

Week 7 2/22/26: Kiss 'Destroyer'

Kiss Destroyer was released March 15, 1976, and its a landmark fourth studio album that blended hard rock with orchestral, theatrical, and pop elements, becoming their first to reach platinum status. Produced by Bob Ezrin, it featured hits like "Detroit Rock City", "Beth," and "Shout It Out Loud," cementing the band's status as 1970s rock icons

Destroyer sold well upon its release on March 15, 1976, and was certified gold on April 22. Although exact sales figures are not known, Paul Stanley stated that the album initially sold 850,000 copies in the US, well over any of Kiss's first three studio albums^] After peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 album chart, it eventually would go 2 times Platinum for 2 million in sales. We'll play 'Destroyer' from Kiss in its entirety Sunday night at 11pm.

Week 6 2/15/26: Lynyrd Skynyrd 'Street Survivors'

Street Survivors is the fifth studio album by Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on October 17, 1977, and is famously known as the final album recorded by the original lineup before a fatal plane crash. Featuring hits like "What's Your Name" and "That Smell," the album was released just three days before the crash. 

The album was an instant success, achieving gold certification just 10 days after its release. It would later go double platinum. The album performed well on the charts, peaking at No. 5 (the band's highest-charting album), as did the singles with "What's Your Name" becoming a top-20 hit on the singles chart. We'll play 'Street Survivors' from Lynyrd Skynyrd in its entirety Sunday night at 11pm.

Week 5 2/8/26: AC/DC 'Highway to Hell'

Released on July 27, 1979, Highway to Hell is the sixth studio by AC/DC and a landmark in hard rock, acting as their commercial breakthrough. It was the first album produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange and the last featuring legendary lead singer Bon Scott, who passed away in 1980. The title track, inspired by the grueling pace of touring and the "Canning Highway" in Australia, helped the album reach number 17 on the US Billboard 200. 

The album became AC/DC's first LP to break the top 100 of the U.S. Billboard 200  chart, and it propelled the band into the top ranks of hard rock acts. It is the second-highest selling AC/DC album (behind Back in Black) and is generally considered one of the greatest hard rock albums ever made. On 8 July 2024, the album was certified 8× Platinum by the RIAA. We'll play 'Highway to Hell' from AC/DC in its entirety Sunday night at 11pm.

Week 4 2/1/26: Led Zeppelin 'Led Zeppelin 1'

About Led Zeppelin 'Led Zeppelin 1'

Led Zeppelin (often called Led Zeppelin I) is the debut studio album by Led Zeppelin, released on January 12, 1969 in the U.S. on Atlantic Records. Recorded in just 36 hours for under $2,000 pounds, it features a mix of heavy blues-rock and folk, showcasing virtuoso musicianship that laid the groundwork for hard rock and heavy metal. 

The album was a commercial success. It was initially released in the US on 13 January 1969 to capitalize on the band's first North American concert tour. Before that, Atlantic Records had distributed a few hundred advance white label copies to key radio stations and reviewers. A positive reaction to its contents, coupled with a good reaction to the band's opening concerts, resulted in the album generating 50,000 advance orders. The album hit the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart going 8 times platinum in the U.S with singles "Good Times Bad Times" and "Communication Breakdown". We'll play Led Zeppelin I from Led Zeppelin in its entirety Sunday night at 11pm.

Week 3 1/25/26: Bruce Springsteen 'Born to Run'

About Bruce Springsteen 'Born to Run'

Released on August 25, 1975, Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run is a landmark album that transformed him from struggling artist into a rock icon. It combined romanticized, working-class tales of escape with a massive, Phil Spector-inspired "wall of sound," ultimately becoming a defining masterpiece of 1970s American rock. 

Born to Run hit the top 20 of the Billboard 200 chart going 7 times Platinum with singles "Born to Run" and "Sixth Avenue Freeze-Out". We'll play 'Born to Run' from Bruce Springsteen in its entirety Sunday night t 11pm.

Week 2 1/18/26: Bon Jovi 'Slippery When Wet'

About Bon Jovi 'Slippery When Wet'

Slippery When Wet is Bon Jovi's iconic third studio album from 1986, a massive commercial breakthrough that defined 80s pop-metal with anthems like "Livin' on a Prayer", "You Give Love a Bad Name," and "Wanted Dead or Alive," becoming the best-selling album of 1987 and catapulting the band to global superstardom with its blend of blue-collar themes and catchy, radio-friendly hooks. Its success, aided by songwriter Desmond Child, cemented Bon Jovi as rock giants.

Slippery When Wet was an instant commercial success, spending eight weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and was named by Billboard as the top-selling album of 1987. The album has been called the album that turned "heavy metal into a radio-friendly pop format", and is also commonly seen as "a breakthrough for hair metal" was an instant commercial success upon its release receiving mixed reviews, but eventually selling over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. We'll play 'Slippery When Wet' from Bon Jovi in its entirety Sunday night at 11pm.

Week 1 1/11/26: The Beatles 'Abbey Road'

About The Beatles 'Abbey Road'

Abbey Road is The Beatles' eleventh studio album, the final one they recorded (though Let It Be was released later completed before the band's break-up in April 1970), and is considered a masterpiece, famous for its iconic zebra crossing cover photo and hit songs like "Here Comes the Sun" and "Come Together," created amidst band tension as a final, brilliant collaboration at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London.

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Abbey Road was an instant commercial success upon its release receiving mixed reviews, but eventually selling over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. We'll play 'Abbey Road' from The Beatles in its entirety Sunday night at 11pm.