As fans of immersive music, I imagine we’ve all had that great experience of demoing our favorite surround-mixed tracks for friends or family (my go-to’s in the pre-Atmos days were always Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and The Eagles “Hotel California”). But then, after you blow them away with that initial playback, they’ll inevitably start to ask if some of their favorite artists have music out in the immersive format. Sadly, at least in my experience, the answer was almost always in the negative.
Though the number of albums available in spatial audio has increased rapidly in recent years, especially since streaming services like Tidal and Apple Music began supporting the format, I will concede that it’s still a relatively small percentage of the wider stereo catalog. It’s frustrating to see certain catalog evergreens still unavailable in surround or Atmos, perhaps due to a lack of interest from the artist or–even worse–because the original multitrack elements can’t be located in order to perform a remix.
For this article, I’ve selected ten of my favorite albums that haven’t been issued in any multichannel or immersive format–be it quadraphonic, 5.1 surround sound, or Dolby Atmos. Though the list does include some iconic best-selling titles, I've decided to forego some of the more obvious choices (yes, I too want to hear Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Radiohead’s Kid A in surround) in favor of alternative suggestions.
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II (1969)
As a huge fan of ‘70s-era classic rock, I feel very fortunate to have received excellent immersive mixes of several classic releases from this period. Recent examples include The Who’s Who’s Next (1971), Deep Purple's Machine Head (1972), Robin Trower's Bridge of Sighs (1974), and more. Sadly, Led Zeppelin–perhaps the biggest rock band of that decade–seems to be among the few remaining holdouts when it comes to surround sound.
Despite the fact that much of their core catalog was released during the heyday of quadraphonic sound–and the band’s label, Atlantic, had commissioned four-channel remixes of key titles from other popular acts in their roster (including Aretha Franklin, The J. Geils Band, and The Spinners)–no Led Zeppelin albums were issued on quad LP or tape in the 1970s. Two of the band’s live releases (1976’s The Song Remains The Same and 2003’s How The West Was Won) eventually received 5.1 mixes from Kevin Shirley during the mid-2000s, but none of their studio outings have ever been reissued in a multichannel format.
Difficult as it is to nominate just one studio album for the immersive treatment, I’d have to go with 1969’s Led Zeppelin II. Not only does it contain several of the band’s most iconic songs, but also some of their most inventive sound design–like the guitar bouncing between the stereo channels at the end of “What Is and What Should Never Be,” or the psychedelic middle section of “Whole Lotta Love.” I’d be willing to bet that just about every established immersive mixer–including original producer Eddie Kramer, who’s recently tackled some of Jimi Hendrix’s classic recordings in 5.1 and Dolby Atmos–would jump at the chance to bring this legendary music into three dimensions.
Song that would sound best in surround: “Whole Lotta Love”
Obviously that psychedelic middle passage is perfectly suited for the immersive format, but I wouldn’t envy whoever is tasked with replicating all the fader moves from the original mix. There are also some cool opportunities to separate effects from their source sound–like during the guitar intro, you could have the guitar in front left and its reverb pushed out to the rear right speaker. Plus, who wouldn’t want to hear Robert Plant’s voice isolated in the center channel?
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Deja Vu (1970)
In 1968, The Byrds’ David Crosby, Buffalo Springfield’s Stephen Stills, and The Hollies’ Graham Nash joined forces to form one of America’s very first rock supergroups. As if that trio wasn’t impressive enough, the follow-up to their eponymous album–1970’s Deja Vu–saw the addition of Neil Young to the lineup. The album immediately topped the charts upon its release in March 1970, spawning three top-40 singles in "Woodstock", "Teach Your Children", and "Our House."
Curiously, though each of the quartet have had at least one solo work released in surround (such as Crosby’s If I Could Only Remember My Name, Stills’ Stills, Nash’s Songs For Beginners, and Young’s Harvest), none of the CSN or CSNY group outings have been remixed to multichannel. I was hoping to see either a 5.1 or Atmos remix become available when Deja Vu was reissued by Rhino for its 50th anniversary in 2021, but it wasn’t to be. As far as artist interest in the immersive format goes: I know Nash spoke fondly of 5.1 when his Songs For Survivors album was released on DVD-A in 2003, and more recently Neil Young oversaw Atmos remixes of his entire catalog alongside longtime collaborator Niko Bolas.
Though the album is somewhat sparse in arrangement and the original session recordings–if they still exist–may present some limitations (for instance, it sounds like the three-part harmonies in “Carry On” were either sung into one microphone or combined onto a single channel on the master), an immersive mix could provide an interesting new perspective on the album. I can certainly imagine the dueling rhythm guitars in “Almost Cut My Hair” cascading across the side surrounds, or the ‘fine house’ backing vocals in “Our House” panned above the listener.
Song that would sound best in surround: “Carry On”
Even if you can’t separate out the harmony vocals (maybe a job for Peter Jackson's MAL stem-seperation tool?), there’s still a lot to play with here–especially once the full band comes in after the a cappella break midway through. That reverb-y organ part and the cowbell(!) would be great in the rear or height speakers, while the guitar leads could alternate between the side surrounds.
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (1970)
Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut album changed rock music forever, introducing the world to Ozzy Osbourne’s inimitable vocals and Tony Iommi’s demonic tuned-down guitar. Given how well the ‘70s quad mix of Paranoid turned out, I suspect that a multichannel remix of its predecessor could prove just as impressive if not more so. Can you imagine the thunderstorm intro to the title track panned completely overhead, or the phasing effect on Ozzy’s vocals throughout “Behind the Wall of Sleep” rotating all the way around the listener?
Several years ago, I created my own pseudo-quad mix of this album by playing the original green label LP through a Fosgate Tate II 101A decoder set to ‘surround’ mode. Since the original stereo version is mixed so wide–often even placing Geezer Butler’s bass off to one side–the results were interesting and surprisingly effective at times. Iommi’s guitar licks at the beginning of “Behind The Wall” came almost entirely from the left rear speaker, while Bill Ward’s drumming in “Wicked World” filled up the entire room.
To this day, Paranoid remains the only Sabbath studio album to have been remixed in a surround format. Steven Wilson’s involvement in the recent Vol. 4 and Technical Ecstasy reissues had me hoping that 5.1 and Atmos versions of those records were in the cards, but unfortunately both ended up being stereo-only projects. In fact, in the case of Vol. 4, the original multitrack tapes were completely missing–so only outtake versions of a handful of tracks were remixed for the box set. Hopefully the same isn’t true of the debut album!
Song that would sound best in surround: “Wasp/Behind The Wall of Sleep/Bassically/N.I.B.”
Iommi gets four short lead breaks at the very beginning–why not stick one in each corner of the room? As mentioned above, it’d be awesome to hear that phasing effect on Ozzy’s voice traveling front-to-back instead of side-to-side. Also, the transition from “Basically” to “N.I.B.” represents a cool opportunity to shrink-and-expand the soundstage–it’d be cool to have Butler’s wah-wah bass solo confined completely to the center, then have the track explode back into full immersion with the heavy guitars coming from the sides at 4:30.
The Cars - The Cars (1978)
Produced by the legendary Roy Thomas Baker, The Cars’ 1978 debut album combined new-wave synthesizers and hard-rocking guitars for a completely-unique sound. All nine songs on the album are classics in their own right, from the huge hits everyone knows like “My Best Friend’s Girl” and “Just What I Needed” to B-sides like the sound effects-laden “I'm in Touch with Your World” and the captivating closer “All Mixed Up.” It’s also an incredible-sounding album, even by today’s standards.
The possibilities seem almost endless for a 5.1 or Atmos mix, as there’s so many elements to play with. The layered harmony vocals in “My Best Friend’s Girl” (‘here she comes again…’) and “All Mixed Up (‘leave it to me…’) would sound amazing spread out over a large soundstage. The flanging drum intro to “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight” could march across the room as it fades in. I’d love to hear Elliot Easton’s guitar solo in “Just What I Needed” or the wailing sax solo that ends the album floating overhead.
It was long rumored that Elliot Scheiner had remixed The Cars in 5.1 for a cancelled DVD-Audio release in the mid-2000s, but he debunked that claim when I interviewed him last year. However, in a March 2024 interview with Mike Mettler for Stereophile, Steven Wilson revealed that he’d worked on a Dolby Atmos mix of this album that has yet to be released. I hope we don’t have to wait until the 50th anniversary in 2028 to hear it!
Song that would sound best in surround: “Moving In Stereo”
The million dollar question is, what do you do with the iconic vocal pan at the beginning? Keep it left-to-right as in the original stereo, or change it to front-to-back or even bottom-to-top? Same question for when Benjamin Orr’s telephone-EQ’d voice hops channels just after the two-minute mark.
Peter Gabriel - So (1986)
The former Genesis frontman’s best-selling and arguably most-accessible studio album arrived in May 1986, produced by Daniel Lanois (Brian Eno, U2, Bob Dylan). “Sledgehammer,” “Big Time,” “Red Rain,” "Don't Give Up," and especially “In Your Eyes” are all ‘80s standouts. So continues to be revered not only for its excellent songs, but also the innovative production and fusion of styles.
So far, only two of Gabriel’s studio albums have received immersive mixes: 2002’s Up was released on SACD with an excellent 5.1 mix, while the recent Dolby Atmos ‘In-Side’ version of 2023’s i/o won the Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album. That said, a variety of tracks from across his catalog–including the five aforementioned big hits from So–were remixed in 5.1 by Lanois and Richard Chappell for the Play: The Videos DVD compilation in 2005. These mixes are fun (“Don’t Give Up” has Kate Bush’s vocal in the rear speakers), but aren’t always faithful to the originals and suffer from too much dynamic range compression.
With the 40th anniversary just around the corner in 2026, it’d be great to see someone like Hans-Martin Buff (who did the Atmos mix of i/o) or Bob Clearmountain (who’s worked on numerous classics of a similar vintage, such as Simple Minds’ Once Upon A Time) get a shot at a new immersive mix. It would appear that Gabriel is now a fan of the format, since he’s installed an Atmos system at his Real World Studios facility and recently oversaw an Atmos remix of Genesis’ The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1975) due out later this year.
Song that would sound best in surround: “Sledgehammer”
Don’t have to imagine this one, as the spatial positioning choices in the 2005 Lanois/Chappell 5.1 mix are pretty close to what I pictured. It starts with the flute along in the center channel, then the horns come blaring from the rear! With the expanded canvas that Atmos provides, it could be cool to have the rhythm guitars in the sides and keys in the rear–which then opens the height array up for other elements like the horns and backing vocals.
Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory (1999)
Dream Theater have made a lot of records over their 40-year career (a whopping 16 studio albums and 9 live albums), but 1999’s Metropolis Part II: Scenes From A Memory remains one of the band's crowning achievements. Inspired by story-based classics like The Who’s Tommy (1969) and Queensrÿche's Operation: Mindcrime (1988), Scenes From A Memory is a concept album that follows the lead character ‘Nicholas’ as he undergoes hypnotherapy to relive his past life as a young woman named Victoria Page in 1928. The twisted web of love, infidelity, and murder that unfolds across the ensuing 77 minutes is just as compelling today as it was more than two decades ago.
Scenes From A Memory has always seemed too complex for stereo to contain, so the prospect of a 5.1 surround sound or Dolby Atmos remix of the album is truly tantalizing. Just imagine John Petrucci’s guitar acrobatics dueling with Jordan Rudess’ keyboard wizardry from opposite quadrants of the room, or Mike Portnoy’s huge drum fills cascading across the entire space. James LaBrie’s impassioned vocals in tracks like “Through Her Eyes” or “The Spirit Carries On” would sound glorious isolated in the center channel, with the harmonies spread out behind the listener.
Dream Theater are no strangers to surround sound, having overseen 5.1 mixes of several works including 2007’s Systematic Chaos, their 2014 self-titled album, and 2019’s Distance Over Time. More recently, 2025’s Parasomnia–which brought original drummer and co-founder Portnoy back into the fold, following his departure in 2010–was mixed in Dolby Atmos and released on Blu-Ray as part of a multi-disc deluxe edition. The reunion of the band’s classic lineup and ongoing 40th anniversary celebrations could represent the perfect opportunity to begin revisiting the back catalog with immersive audio in mind.
If a deluxe reissue of Scenes From A Memory were to materialize someday, I'd hope it might also include the accompanying live album Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York–which captured Dream Theater's stunning August 2000 performance at the Roseland Ballroom, where they played the entire album from start-to-finish. It would be amazing to hear an immersive mix of the live show presented as if you're standing on stage surrounded by the different musicians, rather than a spectator watching from the audience.
Song that would sound best in surround: “Home”
Though I was tempted to choose of the instrumental pieces, like the epic "1928 Overture" or the truly-insane "The Dance of Eternity," "Home" is a perfect showcase of all the band's different sides. I can totally picture the sitar sound during the intro popping up in the side surround speakers, with the chimes and cymbals washing over the listener from above. The harmonies during the chorus (‘help, I’m falling…’) would be great enveloping the listener from behind, while Rudess’ furious synthesizer solo just before the 9-minute mark could come screaming from the height array.
Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns (2010)
Linkin Park’s clever fusion of hip-hop, nu metal, and alt-rock–plus Chester Bennington’s superhuman vocals–made them one of the biggest bands of the 2000s. By the time they started to work on their fourth studio album with legendary producer Rick Rubin, the band had already amassed enough material to fill a greatest hits compilation: “Papercut,” “One Step Closer,” “In The End,” “Somewhere I Belong,” “Numb,” “What I’ve Done,” and the list goes on.
2010’s A Thousand Suns saw the group move in a more experimental direction, dialing back the heavy guitars in favor of denser electronic and keyboard-driven soundscapes. Songs like “Waiting For The End” and especially “The Catalyst” demand a larger soundstage than just two speakers. In fact, the recently-released instrumental version of “Waiting For The End” on the Papercuts compilation offers new insight into just how elaborately-produced that song is and provides a tantalizing glimpse at what an immersive mix could reveal.
Despite the band's popularity during the early-aughts SACD/DVD-A 5.1 era, neither Hybrid Theory (2000) nor Meteora (2002) was issued on multichannel disc. Instead, it was the 2002 remix album Reanimation that received a DVD-Audio release from Warner. With Linkin Park's recent resurgence and ongoing world tour, it feels like the perfect time to start reissuing the older albums with immersive mixes. Curiously, their latest album–November 2024’s From Zero–has not been made available in Atmos.
Song that would sound best in surround: “The Catalyst”
I always imagined it would start off small, with Mike Shinoda’s voice and the percussion upfront, then slowly grow to encompass the entire surround field as more layers get added and the song becomes more frenetic. The group’s ‘no!’ backing vocals at 1:00 could be a great moment to bring the overhead channels into the equation. Of course, the ‘lift me up’ section towards the end would sound great lifted up to the height speakers.
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light (2011)
Produced by Butch Vig (Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Garbage) and famously recorded on analog tape in frontman Dave Grohl’s Encino garage, 2011’s Wasting Light remains my favorite studio LP from the Foo Fighters. The three-guitar interplay between Grohl, Chris Shiflett, and Pat Smear–plus some ferocious drumming from the late Taylor Hawkins–yielded some of the best rock anthems of the 2010s, including setlist staples like “Rope” and “Walk.” It’s one of those records where every song sounds like a hit.
It would be fascinating to hear what could be done with the three-guitar arrangements in surround, particularly those passages where the guitars seem to almost ricochet off each other (like the angular intro to “Rope” or pre-chorus in “A Matter of Time”). On “Dear Rosemary,” it could be cool to separate Grohl and Bob Mould’s voices–especially during the call-and-response bridge section (‘this was no ordinary life…’). There’s also quite a bit happening in terms of vocal layering on songs like “These Days” and “Miss The Misery.”
Two of the band’s studio albums (or one-and-a-half, really) received the 5.1 treatment in the early-2000s: 2002’s One By One–featuring the mega-hits “All My Life” and “Times Like These”–and the acoustic portion of 2005’s In Your Honor. More recently, their latest studio LP But Here We Are (2023) became available to stream in Dolby Atmos, as did the 2009 Greatest Hits compilation.
If an immersive remix of Wasting Light were to be commissioned, I imagine that the task would likely fall to Alan Moulder (who mixed the album in stereo and has since overseen a few Atmos projects, including Shakespears Sister’s Hormonally Yours and Interpol’s The Other Side of Make-Believe). Personally, I’d love to hear what Elliot Scheiner–who helmed the excellent 5.1’s of the In Your Honor acoustic disc and subsequent 2006 live album Skin and Bones–could do with it.
Song that would sound best in surround: “I Should Have Known”
That ghoulish accordion intro (played by Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic) could be great fading in overhead. Dave Grohl’s vocals, especially during the first verse, would sound even more haunting and lonely coming from the center channel. From there, I’d want to hear Smear and Shifflet’s dueling guitars pushed out to the side surrounds and Jessy Greene’s violin placed behind the listener.
Bruce Soord with Jonas Renkse - Wisdom of Crowds (2013)
2014’s Wisdom of Crowds, a one-off collaboration between The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord and Katatonia’s Jonas Renkse, defied all fan expectations. The album doesn’t sound at all like either band’s usual repertoire, instead showcasing Renkse’s almost-hypnotic clean vocals over Soord’s trip-hop electronic soundscapes.
There are so many elements on this record perfectly suited for immersive reproduction, like the vocal echoes in the opening track “Pleasure” or the gorgeous strings at the beginning of “Frozen North.” The super-roomy drums that kick off “Radio Star” already sound like they’re coming from way behind you on headphones, so it feels like a given to put them in the back speakers.
Sadly, Wisdom of Crowds appears to have just missed the cutoff for a surround release. Soord embraced 5.1 just over a year later for his 2015 debut album, and in the decade since has established himself as one of the U.K.’s premier immersive mixers–having worked on 5.1 and Atmos projects for his own music as well as other acts like Anathema, Jethro Tull, Leprous, and Riverside. That said, when I asked him about it last year, Soord seemed optimistic about the prospect of the record eventually being reissued with 5.1 and Atmos mixes.
Song that would sound best in surround: “Frozen North”
The foreboding acoustic guitars that start the piece off would be great isolated in the side surround speakers. Then, add in the strings from overhead and Renkse's voice upfront. When the power cuts in at 2:25, those big drums could fill up the entire soundstage at ear-level while the orchestration remains overhead.
Beck - Morning Phase (2014)
A sort of spiritual sequel to 2002’s Sea Change, Morning Phase earned Beck numerous accolades including the Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, Best Engineered Album, and Best Rock Album. The recording sessions saw the return of nearly every musician that contributed to Sea Change, aside from producer Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Air, Arcade Fire).
Elliot Scheiner’s 2003 5.1 mix of Sea Change remains one of my favorite surround releases ever, so it would have been amazing to hear him work the same magic on this record. I can totally imagine the banjo plucks in “Say Goodbye” floating over my left shoulder, or the strings in “Wave” taking over the entire room. The layered vocals in “Turn Away” could be made even more haunting in an immersive mix.
In addition to Sea Change, 2005’s Guero was also released on DVD-Audio with a 5.1 mix (again created by Scheiner). More recently, his cover version of George Harrison's “Be Here Now” became available to stream in Atmos–so perhaps the possibility remains for Morning Phase and subsequent records like Colors (2017) or Hyperspace (2020) to be revisited in the immersive format.
Song that would sound best in surround: “Waking Light”
I'd start small with the piano-and-vocal intro upfront, then bring in the harmony vocals ('night is gone...') from behind. Just before the two-minute mark ('somewhere you can't make it home...'), those soaring strings would be great up in the height speakers. I'd also love to hear those big tom fills from around 3:40 to the end crashing all around the room.
