I think the biggest issue you're not really getting is that by striving to release a "classic" album, some artists may compromise their sound to fit into the mold of previous classic albums. Not every hip-hop album needs to sound like Illmatic to be a classic, not every rock album has to sound like Sgt. Pepper's or whatever, not everyone should be trying to sound like Bon Iver just because he released a great record.

There may be some related aspects that take an album into the "classic" level that are common across many, but one I think is definitely necessary is crafting a unique style that is cohesive across an entire album. The issue comes from certain artists striving to repeat the style from a perceived greatness from one album, when they have higher potential going in a different stylistic direction. In this way, by copying the format and tone of a great "classic" album in order to release their own classic, they compromise their style to fit into a mold they don't necessarily match, while also releasing an album that is not as strong as it could have been if they just played towards their strong suits and released what they wanted to without having the pressure of needing a "classic" in their catalog.

Essentially, artists would be better off listening less to what albums fans name as instant classics, and more focusing on what they can do to make the best album in the sound they're going for.

An album is considered a classic if Jason Tate says so.

I definitely consider that one a classic. I'll always listen to those songs.

Which would be striving for greatness ...

If it's a personal classic - sure.

Yeah, but what he's trying to say (and what the article basically said) is that a lot of artists strive for other people's greatness rather than their own and the result is a decrease in innovation.

Yeah, this exactly.

how many albums that are carbon copies of what's already been done end up being considered classics though, I feel like anyone doing that's an idiot anyway.

Like how brand new tried to make a 90s alt rock record and failed completely

I quoted the posts from the kendrick thread in here if you wish to continue the discussion

Seems like there's a variety of reasons to deem an album "classic."

When we talked about Kanye's albums a while back, we came to a consensus that his first two established a new mood and aesthetic in rap music--a sound that had been missing and quickly became co-opted by the mainstream. While I think those albums are groundbreaking, I wouldn't necessarily call them classics. Especially The College Dropout, which runs out of steam midway through the album and almost completely falls apart in the last third (due to way too many skits, joke songs like "The New Workout Plan" and worse).

I personally think that an album's sense of "world-building" (a term that's become more and more popular in the last few years) is what makes it a classic. I can LIVE inside MBDTF or channelORANGE or Kid A or Heartbreaker or Born To Run. There are a variety of moods and textures, but the album encompasses them all and suggests that these songs could beget other songs...the world creates infinite possibilities.

And I can live inside College Dropout. Once again it's all relative

I can live inside about half of channel ORANGE...

I can live inside about 4 songs from channel ORANGE...

So true