[paladisiac]

Here are 50 year's worth of my favorites. (Yeah, Genesis.)

1966 Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme
1967 The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
1968 Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends
1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River
1970 Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
1971 Genesis - Nursery Cryme
1972 Genesis - Foxtrot
1973 Genesis - Selling England By The Pound
1974 Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
1975 David Bowie - Young Americans
1976 Genesis - A Trick Of The Tail
1977 Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
1978 The Cars - The Cars
1979 Michael Jackson - Off The Wall
1980 Genesis - Duke
1981 Genesis - Abacab
1982 Michael Jackson - Thriller
1983 Genesis - Genesis
1984 Prince & The Revolution - Purple Rain
1985 Phil Collins - No Jacket Required
1986 Genesis - Invisible Touch
1987 Prince - Sign 'O' The Times
1988 Bon Jovi - New Jersey
1989 Phil Collins - ...But Seriously
1990 Depeche Mode - Violator
1991 Nirvana - Nevermind
1992 Prince & The New Power Generation - Love Symbol
1993 Nirvana - In Utero
1994 Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York
1995 Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
1996 Pearl Jam - No Code
1997 Radiohead - OK Computer
1998 Better Than Ezra - How Does Your Garden Grow?
1999 Wilco - Summerteeth
2000 Radiohead - Kid A
2001 Death Cab For Cutie - The Photo Album
2002 Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2003 The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
2004 Arcade Fire - Funeral
2005 The Decemberists - Picaresque
2006 The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
2007 Radiohead - In Rainbows
2008 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
2009 Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
2010 Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2011 Middle Brother - Middle Brother
2012 Hot Chip - In Our Heads
2013 Chvrches - The Bones Of What You Believe
2014 Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else
2015 Hot Chip - Why Make Sense?
_________________
fav artists NOW | ALL-TIME favs | i listen 2 more music than u so u don't have 2!

[Mercury]

lol Genesis. Just kidding, j like them well enough. And I'm the same way with Dylan and Miles.

Okay, here goes.

1952 - Anthology of American Folk Music
1953 - Black Coffee by Peggy Lee
1954 - Walkin' by Miles Davis All Stars
1955 - Julie Is Her Name by Julie London
1956 - Saxophone Colossus by Sonny Rollins
1957 - Brilliant Cornrrs by Thelonius Monk
1958 - Ascenseur Pour L'echafaud by Miles Davis
1959 - Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
1960 - Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis
1961 - My Favorite Things by John Coltrane
1962 - Breakfast at Tiffany's by Henry Mancini
1963 - Freewheelin' Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan
1964 - The Times They Are A-Changin' by Bob Dylan
1965 - Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan
1966 - Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
1967 - The Velvet Underground and Nico by The Velvet Underground
1968 - Astral Weeks by Van Morrison
1969 - In A Silent Way by Miles Davis
1970 - After the Goldrush by Neil Young
1971 - Journey in Satchidananda by Alice Coltrane
1972 - Pink Moon by Nick Drake
1973 - Let's Get It On by Marvin Gaye
1974 - Grievous Angel by Gram Parsons
1975 - Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan
1976 - Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy
1977 - Pink Flag by Wire
1978 - So Alone by Johnny Thunders
1979 - London Calling by The Clash
1980 - Peter Gabriel III/Melt by Peter Gabriel
1981 - Fire of Love by The Gun Club
1982 - Thriller by Michael Jackson
1983 - Murmur by R.E.M.
1984 - Purple Rain by Prince
1985 - Hounds of Love by Kate Bush
1986 - Reign In Blood by Slayer
1987 - Sign O The Times by Prince
1988 - It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Is Back by Public Enemy
1989 - Doolittle by The Pixies
1990 - Chill Out by The KLF
1991 - Nevermind by Nirvana
1992 - Slanted and Enchanted by Pavement
1993 - In Utero by Nirvana
1994 - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain by Pavement
1995 - Liquid Swords by GZA
1996 - If You're Feeling Sinister by Belle and Sebastian
1997 - Either/Or by Elliott Smith
1998 - Car Wheels On A Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams
1999 - I See A Darkness by Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2000 - Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams
2001 - Is This It by The Strokes
2002 - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco
2003 - Magnolia Electric Co. By Songs:Ohia
2004 - Funeral by Arcade Fire
2005 - Gimme Fiction by Spoon
2006 - Donuts by J Dilla
2007 - Untrue by Burial
2008 - Shallow Grave by The Tallest Man On Earth
2009 - Fever Ray by Fever Ray
2010 - The Wild Hunt by The Tallest Man On Earth
2011 - Helplessness Blues by The Fleet Foxes
2012 - Good Kid, Maad City by Kendrick Lamar
2013 - Modern Vampires of the City by Vampire Weekend
2014 - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music by Sturgill Simpson
2015 - To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
_________________
-Ryan

ONLY 4% of people can understand this chart! Come try!

My Fave Metal - you won't believe #5!!!

[LAF2]

Let's start in 1963:

1963: Black Saint & Sinner Lady
1964: Meh
1965: A Love Supreme
1966: Velvet Underground & Nico (recorded entirely in '66)
1967: The Doors
1968: Odessey and Oracle
1969: In the Court of the Crimson King
1970: Fun House
1971: Led Zeppelin IV
1972: Pink Moon
1973: Dark Side of the Moon
1974: Meh
1975: Wish You Were Here
1976: Ramones
1977: Pink Flag
1978: Meh
1979: Unknown Pleasures/London Calling (tie)
1980: Remain in Light
1981: Meh
1982: Meh
1983: Meh
1984: Ride the Lightning
1985: Meh
1986: Queen is Dead
1987: Meh
1988: Daydream Nation
1989: Doolittle/Stone Roses (tie)
1990: Meh
1991: Loveless/Spiderland (tie)
1992: Meh
1993: Souvlaki
1994: Illmatic
1995: Meh
1996: Meh
1997: OK Computer
1998: In the Aeroplane over the Sea
1999: Agaetis Byrjun
2000: Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
2001: Is This It/Glow Pt. 2
2002: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2003: Meh
2004: Funeral
2005: Illinois
2006: Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not


I'll leave the last 10 years blank because I like to give records time.

[CA Dreamin]

[undefined]

2032: Rabbit Lee - Stranger Days
2043: Radiohead's Sgt. Pepper's tribute album (stolen by The Beatles via time travel and released as the Sgt. Peppers we know today. Time paradoxes be damned)
2044: Weezer self-titled #34 (colloquially knows as The Death Sentence Album)
2045: Rabbit Lee - Stan Glory and the Troubadours

[Satie]

[AAL2014]

[AgainstMeAgainstYou]

* indicates best of the decade
** indicates best of all time

1955: In the Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra
1956: Elvis Presley by Elvis Presley
1957: The "Chirping" Crickets by The Crickets
1958: Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely by Frank Sinatra
1959: Kind of Blue* by Miles Davis
1960: At Last! by Etta James
1961: King of the Delta Blues Singers by Robert Johnson
1962: Green Onions by Booker T. & The M.G.'s
1963: Night Beat by Sam Cooke
1964: A Hard Day's Night by The Beatles
1965: Rubber Soul by The Beatles
1966: Pet Sounds* by The Beach Boys
1967: The Velvet Underground and Nico by The Velvet Underground
1968: Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
1969: Abbey Road by The Beatles
1970: All Things Must Pass by George Harrison
1971: What's Going On* by Marvin Gaye
1972: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie
1973: The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
1974: Queen II by Queen
1975: Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
1976: Boston by Boston
1977: Animals by Pink Floyd
1978: The Cars by The Cars
1979: London Calling by The Clash
1980: Remain in Light by Talking Heads
1981: Ghost in the Machine by The Police
1982: Rio by Duran Duran
1983: Synchronicity by The Police
1984: Purple Rain by Prince & The Revolution
1985: Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits
1986: The Queen is Dead by The Smiths
1987: Strangeways, Here We Come by The Smiths
1988: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy
1989: Doolittle* by Pixies
1990: Violator by Depeche Mode
1991: Ten by Pearl Jam
1992: Rage Against the Machine by Rage Against the Machine
1993: Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins
1994: Grace by Jeff Buckley
1995: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins
1996: Pinkerton by Weezer
1997: OK Computer** by Radiohead
1998: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill
1999: The Fragile by Nine Inch Nails
2000: Kid A* by Radiohead
2001: Amnesiac by Radiohead
2002: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco
2003: Hail to the Thief by Radiohead
2004: Funeral by Arcade Fire
2005: Illinois by Sufjan Stevens
2006: Zig-Zag by Leh-Lo
2007: In Rainbows by Radiohead
2008: Modern Guilt by Beck
2009: Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective
2010: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West
2011: Bon Iver, Bon Iver by Bon Iver
2012: channel ORANGE by Frank Ocean
2013: Modern Vampires of the City by Vampire Weekend
2014: Black Messiah by D'Angelo and the Vanguard
2015: To Pimp a Butterfly* by Kendrick Lamar
2016 (so far): Blackstar by David Bowie

[LAF2]

[Satie]

After much delay (sorry to the two people who read the last one and wanted more of an eyesore clogging up these lovely orderly lists), here's the '70s BABAY 😎 😎 I wanted to get a broad perspective on the '70s' musical styles, so in some cases, a personal favorite was substituted with something from a less represented genre to give some diversity to the list.

1970: Nico - Desertshore
The second of Nico's unmissable gothic trilogy, Desertshore sees the chanteuse at the peak of her powers. Nico's dirge-ready wails surround and submerge the listener as flittering, manic atonal string sections descend us into a kind of hell. There is a heart and delicacy to vast swaths of Desertshore that serves not just as salve and as counterpoint to these more bombastic sections but also frames them as that much more interesting. The complexity of the emotional core, the academic high-mindedness, and the untouchable atmosphere make for one of the most revelatory sounds ever put to record.

1971: Harry Partch - Delusion of the Fury
Harry Partch is one of those completely confounding figures in the history of the arts who manages to unite so many things in a center while being so far outside the purview of regular musical proceedings. What Partch brings together here are the formal traditions of several world muiscs with a keen eye for the future and past of sound. Partch literally invented an alternate musical scale, built a bunch of instruments himself, and wrote the most bizarre and fascinating pan-ethnic folktale of all time and had it performed in a giant concert hall. Shocking music.

1972: Fela Kuti - Roforofo Fight
The unimpeachable king of afrobeat released too many genius albums to count, but Roforofo Fight served as my introduction to his legacy and continues to be my favorite. Four long-form jazzed-out high-energy jams with him right in the middle of it all, the man funking his way to freedom. Skittering drums and unforgettable horns sure to get your ass moving.

1973: Noah Howard - The Black Ark
A masterful free jazz recording, The Black Ark might even be recommended as a good conduit into that world. A diverse smattering of very listenable, even tuneful compositions, The Black Ark excels in variety, texture, and depth. It's hard to really summarize just what kind of alien subterranean world it puts me, but it's a place I want to go back to again and again.

1974: Robert Ashley - In Sara, Mencken, Christ and Beethoven, There Were Men and Women
I believe the most recent addition to my upper echelon of music (my 50 or so 9/10+es) from the '70s, this composition is my favorite from the genius Robert Ashley, one of our most vibrant and essential American electroacoustic composers. His work very consistently creates vibrant concoctions for voice and electronics, and this is no exception. Ashley reads a 128-stanza poem where a basic sentence featuring names of historical and fictional characters is repeated time and again with a rotating cast of characters. Ashley manipulates the recording to remove all pauses for breath, and an electronics score that I believe is triggered by the vocal sounds bubbles underneath. The combination is a dexterous slab of sound poetry that has an eternal quality. It could be another five hours long, and I would savor every second.

1975: Keith Hudson - Flesh of My Skin, Blood of My Blood
Though it likely wasn't doing much moving and shaking at the time (it's exposure for contemporary audiences comes mainly courtesy of a Basic Replay [the dub and reggae reissue imprint on the Basic Channel roster of labels] pressing), Flesh of My Skin, Blood of My Blood stands head and shoulders above some of the most incredible music of its day, the dub plates from Jamaica that like the Ark of the Covenant would find their way into mainstream consciousness in Europe and the U.S. and indelibly shape the future of popular music forever.

1976: The Residents - The Third Reich 'n' Roll
I like meccalecca's comparison to Plunderphonics for this one. Though I prefer to leave credit where it's due to the immortal prankster John Oswald, it's undeniable that the Residents weren't trying to similarly lampoon, venerate, undermine, and transform popular music in quite similar ways. These medleys of bizarro pop reconstructions run the gamut of rock music at the time, and half the fun is picking out what references are being made. At once, it's supremely listenable.

1977: Throbbing Gristle - The Second Annual Report
1977 is commonly known as the year punk broke, but listening to Throbbing Gristle's opus from the same year might lead one to the conclusion that it's the year all music broke, clubbed to death by high-concept avant-gardists who have somewhat absurdly been lumped in with the rock crew. Throbbing Gristle's madness took a long time for even me to open up to - the sound is altogether much sparser than one might expect from the earliest industrial group, and it's certainly a different beast than the incredibly abrasive and straightforward power electronics acts that would spawn from it. But that in its own way is a testament to the uncompromising approach taken by this act.

1978: Judas Priest - Stained Class
The Residents' Not Available probably deserves this spot a bit more, but I've already given them a shout, and Stained Class deserves some acknowledgement as one of the first masterpiece metal albums. Taking heavy metal into its first nosedive into complete hellish insanity, Stained Class rips to shreds all false metal, even to this day. The violence and darkness here anticipated the lyrics and atmospheres of black metal albums made even a decade or more later. The shedding of all progressive influence from Judas Priest's sound also opened them up to creating a sleeker, meaner package of metal ferocity that would be unmatched for quite some time. Like The Second Annual Report, Stained Class was an embryonic encapsulation of entire movements that would come to a head after some gestation to sow seed and multiply across the earth. But in 1978, there was simply Stained Class, a true motherfucker of an album.

1979: Polly Bradfield - Solo Violin Improvisations
Bradfield's *ahem* divisive masterwork from 1979 was another major milestone in the development of parallel tendencies in free jazz and an avant-garde emerging from more formally-derived schools of music towards complete cacophony. The free improvisatory elements of groups like AMM and the creative energies of New York string masters like John Zorn and Tony Conrad were reflected in this single contribution to the world of recorded music by Ms. Bradfield. Here, Bradfield manipulates the violin every which way, celebrating and in some ways unveiling the extreme possibilities of application of the instrument, manipulating the body, strings, and bow in increasingly fascinating ways to pull out the full timbral range of the instrument. Her plucks and scrapes create incredibly dynamic and engrossing miniature improvisations set apart by long bouts of silence. These are much harsher, austere approaches to violin than, say, Leroy Jenkins, but they seem to me to flow from a similar starting point. The synthesis of academic violin training, free jazz improvisatory approach, avant-garde explorations of the violin as sound object, and the post-Cageian employment of silences to highlight her pointilistic masterworks all contribute to the absolute genius of this album. For that one other person on the forums who gives a shit about this, a lot of Bradfield's approach found later realization from a variety of EAI and Onkyo musicians. Kazushige Kinoshita's Segments particularly borrows from her style to magnificent results despite the conceptual preciousness the of the first, mostly silent track.