Hey...this is fun!
Looking back at the original question, I didn't see whether vinyl or cd was specific in the recommendations, but here's my 2 cents. Sometimes I find I get really excited when I hear a pressing or version of a classic recording I have always loved that shines new light and presents it in a way I've never heard before. I'm not about to recommend a great sonic recording if I don't enjoy the music, and I may tend to want to recommend a recording because I love the music so much, so keep that in mind.
I LOVE the Mobile Fidelity UHQR's. They represent the highest quality of playback available. Never heard the Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon", but just listening to the regular MFSL recording would have me rate that near the top. I do have Supertramps "Crime of the Century" in UHQR and that is incredible. It tests the system its being played on. Other faves:
Dire Straits - 1st album - Japanese Pressing vinyl
Waiting for Columbus - MFSL (best concert album ever?) vinyl
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms XRCD (this was recorded in digital and shows incredible depth here.
Heart - Dreamboat Annie - Nautilus vinyl
Fleetwood Mac - (both the "white album" with 'Rhiannon' and "Rumors") - Japanese pressing vinyl
Michael Jackson - Thriller SACD (this album may have been recorded without any real instuments other than voices, so eveything on here has the 'digital' sound, but that was what they were trying to do, and it sounds impressive)
Beatles - Abbey Road - Japanese pressing vinyl Pro-Use series. The overall sound doesn't stand up to the rest of these recordings but I've never heard it sound better!
I could list dozens more, but it was fun boming up with these!
