So you wanna start a rock 'n' roll video library. Well, there now are thousands of titles to get you going. In fact, it's quite likely that there are more music DVDs issued each year than there are new films released in theaters.

Consider this list of 50 discs, then, as an inexact guide. Some are of historical interest. Some plug gaps in chronology. Others are just great performances. All, however, provide a peer into pop that few real-life experiences can - and at a fraction of the cost of concert tickets.

A handful - "Freedom Express," "The Grateful Dead Movie," a four-disc "Live Aid" set - won't arrive for another month or two. And there are scores more - "U2 Live at Red Rocks," "Sign o' the Times," "Let It Be," "The T.A.M.I. Show" - that still await remastering and reissuing.

But collectors looking for something to pump through their home theater system could do worse than this lot.

Prices, by the way, will vary depending on your discounter of choice. I recommend Huntington Beach's DVDPlanet.com or Deep DiscountDVD.com. Amazon and Tower are always reliable. Virtually all of these are available for rent via Netflix.com.

1. "The Complete Monterey Pop" - The Criterion Collection's benchmark, comprised of three discs: D.A. Pennebaker's original film about the Summer of Love festival; another containing full sets from Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding; and a third with more than two hours of previously unseen performances - from the Who and Simon & Garfunkel, among many others.

2. "Woodstock" - Three days of peace and music and mud and rain and drugs and love, captured in sobering but also electrifying split-screen fashion by director Michael Wadleigh and his crew, including Martin Scorsese. The performances may be spotty, but the film is a towering achievement that leaves you feeling as though you were there.

3. "A Hard Day's Night" - Richard Lester's trend-setting snapshot of Beatlemania, as innovative and delightful today as when it filled theaters with squealing girls. Also required is the real thing - either "The Four Complete Historic Ed Sullivan Shows Featuring the Beatles," which provides context for the Fab Four's explosiveness; or "The Beatles First U.S. Visit," a fascinating documentary about their February '64 arrival.

4. "The History of Rock 'n' Roll" - Spans pre-'50s influences to yesterday. Loaded with clips and interviews. If you think you know it all, you'll still see something you probably hadn't before. If you know nothing, this is Rock 101.

5. "Stop Making Sense" - Jonathan Demme expertly directed, but this enthralling 1984 document of Talking Heads at their theatrical peak is purely the brainchild of big- suit-donning David Byrne, whose paranoid persona undergoes a funky transformation - from uptight to all right.

6. "Led Zeppelin: DVD" - All any fan needs. More than five hours worth, spanning from January '70 to their final gig in August '79. Turns your copy of "The Song Remains the Same" into a coaster.

7. "Gimme Shelter" - The Maysles Brothers' account of the bad (even fatal) trip that was the Stones and friends at Altamont, with a prelude from Madison Square Garden to remind how great Mick and Keith were at the time. The antidote to '60s rock utopianism, to be watched not long after "Woodstock."

8. "The Clash: Westway to the World" - Indispensable two- hour profile of one of the best bands of all time, punk or otherwise. Provides essential performances, snippets of videos, proper background, scores of interviews. Their "Anthology."

9. "The Beatles Anthology" - The Fabs' official story. Should have been improved by including unedited footage, but at 10 hours, they're sticking to it. See also McCartney's "Wingspan." "Imagine: John Lennon" has yet to arrive.

10. "Elvis: The Great Performances" - A fitting overview of the King from his Sun sessions and his "Ed Sullivan" launch to his paunchier, Quaalude- and-banana-sandwich days. More than a few illustrate the magnitude of his charisma.

11. "Classic Albums" - Pick at least five from this exceptional BBC series, which, after more than a dozen installments that stretch the notion of "classic," nonetheless has the ability to force re-examinations on unlikely topics (Judas Priest's "British Steel," anyone?). "Dark Side of the Moon" and the Wailers' "Catch a Fire" are musts. Then select three more. I recommend "The Band," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Graceland." Or "Rumours."

12. "Don't Look Back" - D.A. Pennebaker's eavesdropping documentary about magnetic Dylan on the cusp of something incredible while touring England solo in 1964; a year later he'd be back and garnering loathing for going electric. Arrogant and competitive, witty and weirdly cool, this is Dylan in his first prime.

13. "This Is Spinal Tap" - Of course. If you don't know why, you just haven't seen it yet.

14. "The Last Waltz" - Many critics from the generation before me considered Scorsese's stirring account of the Band's all-star '76 send-off a bloated end to the long-over '60s. I say it keeps the spirit of the Hall of Famers alive when nothing else does (radio rarely plays them), then adds Van, Joni, Muddy Waters, Clapton, Dylan, Neil and, uh, Neil.

15. "Tupac Resurrection" - Insightful, unflinchingly honest portrait of the gifted poet- rapper-actor that strains to sanctify him while admirably showing both his likable and dislikable side. Almost alone in adequately defining the '90s hip-hop explosion; no one has made the genre retrospective documentary, just spoofs.

16. "The Kids Are Alright" - The single-disc edition will do; only original fans of this trove of archival Who performances would care about its restoration. The film itself, though, is a crucial chronicle of the band from British Invasion through "Tommy" and on up to the final performance before Keith Moon's death. Everything after that was some other Who.

17. "Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues" - Invest the time, do your homework.

18. "Ken Burns' Jazz" - Invest the time, do your homework - and add "The Miles Davis Story" while you're at it.

19. "Honky Tonk Blues: The Hank Williams Story" - Maybe someday Burns will create the definitive 10-part study on country music. For now, it's represented only by run-of- the-mill concerts, clip collections as dated as acid-wash jeans, and a decent but by no means essential Johnny Cash anthology. This study of one of its cornerstones is as good an entry point as any until a historic hootenanny comes along.

20. "Buena Vista Social Club" - Director Wim Wenders' unfettered, fascinating look at a group of aging but still agile Cuban musicians who, because of this film and a series of Ry Cooder-produced albums, would go on to enjoy a much-deserved rediscovery stateside and abroad.

21. The "Later" series - Highly entertaining collections of performances from the ingenious Jools Holland-hosted BBC variety program. The original disc is heavy on British acts, the second ("Louder") focuses more on American talent, and the third, "Legends," will yield something to awe you, like Al Green doing "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?"

22. "Bob Marley: Legend" - The triple-disc edition features the best-of CD, a remix disc and a DVD featuring the Jamaican giant performing most of his standards, plus a 90-minute documentary. In other words, Reggae 101.

23. "24 Hour Party People" - No documentary better encapsulates the shift in British rock from the Pistols and Joy Division to New Order and Happy Mondays better than this re-enactment. The roots of today's indie sound.

24. "Purple Rain" - Badly written and acted howler that overflows with some of the most indelible music of its era. Made Prince a musical god. The 20-minute live take on "I Would Die 4 U" and "Baby I'm a Star" on the second disc is worth the sticker price.

25. "Roy Orbison: A Black and White Night" - A live tribute to the singularly operatic vocalist and songwriter who specialized in "it's-over" drama. Giants like Springsteen and Costello sit at his heels and follow his lead. Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and k.d. lang serve as backing vocalists. Reverent perfection.

26. "The Doors Collection" - A visual history, including experimental films and promotional clips and infamous television appearances; the full, fascinating "Live at the Hollywood Bowl"; and enough Jim Morrison poetry to have you celebrating lizards.

27. "Meeting People Is Easy" - A difficult account of Radiohead's "OK Computer" world tour; watching the band slowly succumb to exhaustion isn't pleasant. But it is strikingly real in this hyperactive media age. Once you adjust to its style, the excellence of the performances creeps through.

28. "Rust Never Sleeps" - Under his directorial pseudonym Bernard Shakey, Neil Young has created the most concert films of any artist of his stature. All have their merits, but this '79 favorite is Neil at a turning point - for himself and rock 'n' roll. That it's amateurishly shot and filled with roadies dressed as "Star Wars" refugees doesn't take away from the power of the performance, whether alone or with Crazy Horse.

29. "The Filth and the Fury" - Entertaining and informative biography of the Sex Pistols, much of which fills in gaps for American punk fans who know the words to "Anarchy in the U.K." but not the social climate that led to it. Drawback: Some live footage has been overdubbed with studio versions. Still essential.

30. "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" - The artistic and corporate Odyssey of Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot," filmed in black and white by photographer Sam Jones. Voyeuristically appealing even for people who don't care for the band.

31. "Concert for George" - A star-studded, heartwarming celebration of the Quiet Beatle a year after his untimely passing, with Clapton, Petty, Lynne, Ringo, Macca and more proving how lasting his contributions were.

32. "Live Forever: The Rise and Fall of Britpop" - Illuminating survey of the birth, life and death of the retro-forward sound that gave us Blur, Oasis, Pulp, Suede and more.

33. "Rattle and Hum" - The best of what's available from U2, as neither their Red Rocks nor Zoo TV sets are on DVD. Ponderous and pretentious, this moody Phil Joanou film nonetheless sports some incredible performances. For a proper education on their roots and influence, however, hunt down "From a Whisper to a Scream: The Living History of Irish Music."

34. "Fela Kuti: Music Is the Weapon" - An overview of the oppressed life and times (and amazing music) of Nigerian Afropop genius Kuti. A solid first step into world-beat.

35. "The Cure: Trilogy" - Quintessential mope albums ("Pornography," "Disintegration" and "Bloodflowers") performed in their entirety for a basic appreciation of garish yet gorgeous Goth-rock.

36. "Best of Bowie" - Watch the chameleon change before your very eyes! See him turn from androgynous space creature to Thin White Duke in 30 minutes! See if you can make it through all of "Blue Jean"!

37. "Madonna: Truth or Dare" - A condensed reality series before such things existed, this somewhat revealing documentary epitomizes Madonna's manipulative ways. It's impossible to know when she's real and when she's just playing to the cameras. But she intrigues either way.

38. "Elvis: The '68 Comeback Special" - One of rock's great television moments now comes as a triple-disc set that presents the show as it aired, then adds unaired footage. His widely watched "Aloha From Hawaii" special also has received similar treatment.

39. "Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music" - See No. 21. There are scores more memorable performances, many great, many awful but worth reliving - just like what's on these five discs.

40. "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" - Acclaimed tribute to the Funk Brothers, the house band during Motown's heyday, without whom the Tops and Temps and Supremes, to name only a few, wouldn't have had careers.

41. "Beastie Boys" - A two-disc anthology from Criterion featuring 18 of their eccentric breakthrough videos, plus 40 remixes and loads of detritus. Sets the standard for clip compilations.

42. "The Smashing Pumpkins 1991-2000: Greatest Hits Video Collection" - Furthered the boundaries of what a clip collection could be by providing commentary tracks and other behind-the-scenes droppings about some of the most striking, surreal clips ever made.

43. Social Distortion, "Live in Orange County" - Know your local history. This new disc, shot during one of those lengthy House of Blues stands, sums up the slow-to-record band every bit as well as its "Live at the Roxy" album. To see how Ness has grown, see also the low-budget documentary "Another State of Mind."

44. Rage Against the Machine - Take your pick between two: "Live in Mexico City" or "Live at the Grand Olympic." The latter has significance (it was the band's last gig), but I prefer the former for sonic clarity.

45. "VH1 (Inside) Out - Warren Zevon: Keep Me in Your Heart" - Sad, inspirational account of the recording of fractured songwriter Zevon's final album, its author at death's door. The "Old Yeller" of music DVDs: If this doesn't make you weep, your heart has died.

46. "Pink Floyd The Wall" - Imperfect and not for everyone, this midnight-movie staple remains a more mind- bending way to experience the Floyd's alienation epic than a dozen nights at Laserium.

47. "Pearl Jam: Touring Band" - The new Who at the start of their live peak. If you fell off after grunge did, this brings you up to speed in glorious sound and deliberately fuzzy image.

48. "Metallica: Cunning Stunts" - True 'tallica fans may prefer other videos, but this gets my vote for unparalleled DVD functionality. Want to just watch Lars on "Master of Puppets"? Go ahead.

49. Any Bjork live DVD - Take your pick, as she documents every tour. I prefer the pulse of her "Post" days. You may take to the stateliness of her symphonic stuff. None bores.

50. "The Concert for New York City" - Wildly uneven, this, like "America: A Tribute to Heroes," should endure for historical value. For an even more immediate reaction, see Sting's "All This Time," a moving small-scale performance captured mere hours after the events of 9/11 began.