What was the best year in music history (modern era)?

[Marksman84]

1971 arrivals

Led Zeppelin IV
What's Going On (Marvin Gaye)
Who's Next
The Yes Album
Fragile (Yes)
Aqualung (Jethro Tull)
Nursery Cryme (Genesis)
Tarkus (ELP)
Santana III
L.A. Woman (Doors)
Shaft
American Pie (Don McLean)
Tapesty (Carole King)
Tupelo Honey (Van Morrison)
There's a Riot Goin On (Sly and the Family Stone)
Straight Up (Badfinger)

and Me!

[djacques]

1971.

Who's Next--The Who
Imagine--John Lennon
American Pie--Don McLean
High Time--MC5
Aqualung--Jethro Tull
Concert for Bangladesh--George Harrison and friends
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs--Derek and the Dominoes
Tupelo Honey--Van Morrison
LA Woman--The Doors
Madman Across the Water--Elton John
Led Zeppelin IV--Led Zeppelin

Hey marks, we had the same idea at the same time, lol.

[Marksman84]

Sweet! Wow, how could I forget Derek and the Dominoes' Layla, probably Clapton's finest hour. Every song a winner. They just don't make music like that anymore. I have hope in Derek Trucks.

[jbird82]

I posted in the 1984 thread that I thought 1967 was the greatest year in music history, but I really think you can pick any year from 1966-1969. The quantity of quality music being released during this period is just simply unreal. I wasn't born until 1982, but I can appreciate the plethora of classic albums released during that period.

[60'sGal]

1966, 67, 68 & 69. I used to think maybe I thought that was the best music because it was my era and the years I was a teenager...But, now that I'm old, I know it was simply the BEST. Those 60's groups were the epitome of Garage Bands at their most amazing.

I remember as a teen growing up in St. Louis, we could walk down any given street and usually find music coming from a garage somewhere. It seemed nearly every boy I knew either had or was forming his own band.

Everytime I turned on the radio there would some new release that rocked my world. I can still clearly recall where I was the first time I heard "The Letter," "Good Lovin," "I Hear it Through the Grapevine," and "Ode to Billy Joe." Sweet, sweet times. It is the music I listen to today.

[loose cannon]

1983- A great mix of New Wave (some of which went on to become known as alternative), hair metal, rock, and pop. A very exciting year. U2 started to get more respect with the album War. REM released Murmur. The Police were riding high with Synchronicity. Def Leppard was relevant and in their prime with Pyromania. Bon Jovi was starting to get noticed with the song runaway. ABC and Dexys Midnight Runners all had great tunes. I still like Come On Eilleen and am annoyed that it has become so overplayed by the jabronies of today. Cyndi Lauper jsut started to chart with Girls Just Wanna Have fun. She would have more success in 84 as more singles from her debut album charted. The Culture Club were also big. What an exciting year.


1991-92- The alternative world went mainstream spearheaded by REM, Nirvana, Janes Addiction, and the Pixies. The pop songs were good. Even two of the last big hair metal songs by Mr. Big and Extreme were tolerable. Great years.

[loose cannon]

I forgot about Michael Jackson. Released in late 82, Thriller was a major player with songs like Billie Jean and Beat it. The latter song got a lot of interest from the rockers because Eddie Van Halen played guitar on the song. This started to break down the barriers between white rockers and black artist. It was what finally got MTV to play music by blacks. I was a fan of the old MTV but acknowledge their mistake in this regard. They then took it too far with yo MTV raps and other programs which ultimately destroyed the channel that many of us loved.

[catman]

If I have to pick just one year, it would be 1968, but the period 1964-71 is a better choice. I would say 1968 because the orchestration and arranging peaked around then. Some of the bands used what amounted to symphonic treatment that year. An example is Blood, Sweat & Tears' first album, with Al Kooper singing (Child is Father to the Man). BS&T had a string section as well as horns! The Buckinghams, Lesley Gore, The Beatles, and many others were endlessly creative then, with great material. I think of it as the year of greatest experimentation with themes and treatment.

[loose cannon]

Originally Posted by catman

If I have to pick just one year, it would be 1968, but the period 1964-71 is a better choice. I would say 1968 because the orchestration and arranging peaked around then. Some of the bands used what amounted to symphonic treatment that year. An example is Blood, Sweat & Tears' first album, with Al Kooper singing (Child is Father to the Man). BS&T had a string section as well as horns! The Buckinghams, Lesley Gore, The Beatles, and many others were endlessly creative then, with great material. I think of it as the year of greatest experimentation with themes and treatment.

As far as merging jazz with rock, B, S, and T were the best at this sub genre, and much better than Chicago.


While released in 1967, Love-Forever Changes is the best album of the rock and roll era that adds orchestration and symphonies to pop/rock music. It was not a big seller, but I assume the buzz from this album amongst the hipsters carried over into 1968. Forever Changes trounces Sgt. Peppers.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by djacques

1971.

Who's Next--The Who
Imagine--John Lennon
American Pie--Don McLean
High Time--MC5
Aqualung--Jethro Tull
Concert for Bangladesh--George Harrison and friends
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs--Derek and the Dominoes
Tupelo Honey--Van Morrison
LA Woman--The Doors
Madman Across the Water--Elton John
Led Zeppelin IV--Led Zeppelin

Hey marks, we had the same idea at the same time, lol.

heh
I still have almost all of those on vinyl.
I think the only one I lack is Don McLean.
I really loved the Concert for Bangladesh--still listen to it.