ABSTRACT
In the reception of rock albums a canon is often implied, but rarely spoken of. It is an assumed presence in some cases and yet rarely clarified. This chapter considers several alternative perspectives, the one assuming that there is a canon in rock. A canon comprises the works and artists generally considered to be the greatest in their field, and in the reception of rock music, albums can be considered as works with canonic potential and enduring appeal. Any definition of the canonical creates a non-canonical, and the canon has in the past been a means of differentiating between high and low culture. A canon of albums in rock music, contingent to its institutions and its field, would have to recognize the importance of lists, rapid change and relatively large audience participation, at least for the moment. The future of any canon in rock music seems unstable; this is, however, true to an extent of all canons.
