Though some albums are nothing more than a bunch of songs thrown together onto the same disc with little thematic or even musical connection to one another, these 11 albums are albums in the truest sense, repeating certain ideas at their beginnings and ends in order to give the collection a sense of unity. Here are 11 albums that begin the same way they end.
1. King Crimson - In the Wake of Poseidon (1970)
Though King Crimson's second album In the Wake of Poseidon is pretty much a replica of their debut In the Court of the Crimson King, one key distinction is the use of three brief tracks titled "Peace" at the album's beginning, middle, and end, which are musically related. "Peace - An End" borrows the a cappella vocal melody of "Peace - A Beginning" but adds an acoustic guitar arrangement underneath it.
2. Genesis - Selling England by the Pound (1973)
Genesis' fifth album Selling England by the Pound is considered to be one of greatest prog-rock albums of all time, and in true prog fashion, is features a reprisal of its opening track at the album's end. Closer "Aisle of Plenty" is basically a hyper-condensed version of album opener "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight," with new lyrics that continue the theme of England's cultural demise.
3, 4, 5, 6. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon/Wish You Were Here/Animals/The Wall (1973/1975/1977/1979)
All four of Pink Floyd's albums during their '70s commercial peak end the same way they begin, but each in a unique way. The Dark Side of the Moon opens and closes with the faint sound a heartbeat, Wish You Were Here begins and ends with two halves of the 26-minute long composition "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," and Animals begins and ends with different versions of a brief song called "Pigs On The Wing." Strangest of all, however, is The Wall, whose final track "Outside the Wall" actually ends at the exact moment where opener "In The Flesh?" begins.
7 & 8. Neil Young - Tonight's the Night/Rust Never Sleeps (1975/1979)
Two of Neil Young's classic albums from the '70s begin and end with the same song. The harrowing title track to Tonight's the Night opens and closes the album, and though the two versions have different energies, it's nothing compared to the stark difference between Rust Never Sleep's opener "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)" and closer "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)." The opener is a dark acoustic ballad, while the closer shows why Young is called the Godfather of Grunge.
9. Pearl Jam - Ten (1991)
Believe it or not, there was a time when Pearl Jam was relatively experimental, considering they were one of the biggest bands in the world. Their song "Once," which opens their debut album Ten, fades in with a brief psychedelic jam, which is later expanded upon during album closer "Release."
10. Of Montreal - The Gay Parade (1999)
Of Montreal's The Gay Parade was their first concept album, and along with that goes the natural reprisal of certain melodic themes. The piano arrangement of album opener "Old Familiar Way" returns for the brief spoken-word closer "The Gay Parade Outro."
11. Japandroids - Celebration Rock (2012)
Though Japandroid's second album Celebration Rock doesn't begin and end with the same music like some of these other albums, it does begin and end with the same sound: fireworks.
What other albums begin the same way they end? Let us know down in the comments section!
