Jesus Christ Superstar (2012 Remastered Edition)

Young, emerging composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice had the idea for a stage production of this controversial look at Jesus Christ but lacked the money and clout to get it done. Instead, their tale of Jesus' last days, with plenty on his relationship with Judas, was set as an album, with a credible cast of rock musicians, including Ian Gillan (as Jesus), Murray Head (Judas) and Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene), bringing the songs, and, therefore, the concept to life. A Broadway production and movie followed in the wake of this chart-topping double album. In fact, the performances rock pretty darn hard. There's a tough funk element to the music, an early 1970s hard rock that features sharp guitar lines and unrestrained vocal performances. Murray Head and Victor Brox on "Judas's Death" create a genuine hysteria. Elliman's "I Don't Know How To Love Him" has become a standard and the "Superstar" theme is one of popular music's most famous melodies. No album better represents the sound and fury of the early 1970s.