Here are some I'd throw in for consideration, although "greatest", while seemingly more objective than "favorite" is still highly subjective: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band - The Beatles (One of the most influential albums of popular music, hard to deny. Great songs too.) Days of Future Passed - The Moody Blues (brought symphonic elements into Rock more concretely than ever before, amazing melodic sense throughout the album as well.) In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson (The first definitive "progressive" album in popular music, an amazing mix of Classical, Jazz, Avantgarde, and Pop song elements which really works.
Greatly influential on tons of music after not just in Prog but Metal and perhaps even Grunge as Cobain claimed them to be an influence. Modern bands are still influenced by this LP) Arthur - The Kinks (Just, amazing songwriting here, not greatly influential but just a really great record) Quadrophenia - The Who (Artful Rock that one can still "rock" to, I think that's a large part of the appeal. Great album.) Selling England by the Pound - Genesis (It represents classic Britain in many ways, and is imo one of the most beautifully composed albums in popular music... for me that is criteria enough) Before and After Science - Brian Eno (His greatest statement imo in which he melds his pop songs, his ambient, and whatever else he does in the most compelling way perhaps anyone has done.) MQ2: MQ3: As for my personal favorites... Red - King Crimson Abbey Road - The Beatles Selling England by the Pound - Genesis.
Powerslave by Iron Maiden MQ2: just listen to the album....nothing I say could explain it MQ3: 1. Iron Maiden - Powerslave 2. Black Sabbath - Paranoid 3.
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV 4. Queen - Sheer Heart Attack 5. Judas Priest - British Steel 6.
Motorhead - Ace of Spades 7. Derek & The Dominos - Layla 8. The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers 9.
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King 10. The Who - Who's Next.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.