1977, 1979 are both really good. Im also a huge fan of the 60s.
1966 is often underrated but it was the year modern guitar music really started for me.
Possibly two of the best albums ever made in:
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
As well as classics such as:
The Beatles - Revolver Frank Zappa - Freak Out! Monks - Black Monk Time 13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th floor elevators The Sonics - Boom The Seeds - S/T
1967 and 1968 were also good with Psych Garage rock reigning supreme but the real gem of a year was 1969 (the 9s are always good 79, and 89 are both amazing years). While the highs arnt as good as '66 there is plenty more depth
In no particular order:
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King Led Zeppelin - (both 1 and 2) The Velvet Underground - s/t The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed The Beatles - Abby Road Miles Davis - In A Silent Way The Who - Tommy Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left Frank Zappa - Hot Rats David Bowie - Space Oddity Bob Dylan - Nashville Skyline Scott Walker - Scott 4 (and 3) Leonard Cohen - Songs for a Room MC5 - Kick Out the Jams Tim Buckley - Happy Sad Sun Ra - Atlantis The Stooges - S/T Jimmy Cliff - S/T
Seriously unbelievable year with many solid releases. I bet that more good recorded music came between the years 1966-71 and 1977-1982 then all the other years combined. Although this is clearly my own taste.
Not to be a traditionalist slurping the white cock of canonisation but 1966/67/68 are strong contenders, even setting the big hitters aside. Huge innovations in sound design, production, tech and songwriting across the board in a diverse range of styles, plus tentative forays into several entirely new genres. If we consider not just the music but the galvanising effect the music arguably had on the world around it, I think the argument is strengthened even more.
WRT your points about 66/67 especially, a lot of the albums you mention are hugely important for not only the tunes but the /statement/ a lot of them made. The Beatles are a great example - exploding the wall between high and low culture, introducing avant garde, electronic, musique concrete and world music to a global audience via the pop tune, and helping to create the idea of the album as work of art. Shit, they even dropped the drums/bass/guitars for entire tracks at points - Within You and Without You, Tomorrow Never Knows, Eleanor Rigby…they’re so a part of our culture that, as with The Velvet Underground, Jimi, the postmodern lyrics over blues and folk music Dylan was tinkering with, and the adventurous production on Motown records of the time, it’s easy to forget how fucking weird and consequently galvanising that music and those albums were. My dad said listening to the radio between 66-68 was like hearing a different alien signal every day.
Siouxsie & the Banshees - Tinderbox
Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring
New Order - Brotherhood
XTC - Skylarking
Peter Gabriel - So
Paul Simon - Graceland
Felt - Forever Breathes the Lonely Word
Love and Rockets - Express
Cocteau Twins - Victorialand
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
R.E.M. - Lifes Rich Pageant
Sonic Youth - EVOL
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians - Element of Light
Public Image Ltd - Album
Kraftwerk - Electric Cafe
Indeed. I missed a lot of motown and quite a few great singles to focus on a very rock (and male) oriented list of albums. There was a lot going on for sure. I like 69 because it feels like a solidifying of those ideas. There are also a lot of albums that really start laying the ground work for what would eventually become the punk movement.
The Fall - Live at the Witch Trials + Dragnet
The Raincoats - s/t
Devo - Duty Now for the Future
Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material
Swell Maps - A Trip to Marineville
1994 is the one that came to mind for me too. Loads more seminal hip hop too
OutKast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Common Sense - Resurrection
Organized Konfusion - Stress: The Extinction Agenda
OC - Word, Life
Digable Planets - Blowout Comb
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - The Main Ingredient
Scarface - The Diary
Jeru the Damaja - The Sun Rises in the East
Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
Gang Starr - Hard to Earn
yeah; st vincent, vampire weekend, deafheaven, kendrick, chance, these new puritans and run the jewels…loads of sick albums, i just think looking back in 100 years time, the only album anyone’s really going to be taking about is borrell 1
Prince and the Revolution- Parade
The Go-Betweens - Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express
Slayer - Reign in Blood
Husker Du - Candy Apple Grey
The Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional
Elvis Costello - King of America and Blood and Chocolate
The Feelies - The Good Earth
This Mortal Coil - Filigree and Shadow
Have a hard time remembering years and what exactly came out when but for my personal tastes I’d say 93 or 98, or really any year in that run. Or maybe even 04? idk