Best Year/s for Music (albums especially)

AgainstMeAgainstYou · 2014-05-31T09:43:36-04:00

So something that's always fascinated me about music is how often specific years were saturated with the best of the best; the best artists always happened to have the same "on" and "off" years for albums, etc. So it got me thinking; what are the best years for music, and further, what is THE best year for music ever? Well, I managed to narrow it down to ten years. The criteria for these years to constitute the short list include impact, influence, quality of the albums released, number of albums with exceptional acclaim, etc. The ten years are, in chronological order: 1966, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 2007, and 2011. For sake of reference to them, fifteen additional years that constitute the rest of the top twenty-five for me are 1957, 1959, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2002, and 2013. For me, in the end - and I expected this to be the end result from the beginning, though did actually take the time to weigh my top ten against eachother to confirm it - my choice for the best year for music ever is... 1994 Here are twenty albums from 1994 that I feel justify my choice (I also would like it to be noted that the top 20 section for 1994 on this site is the most perfectly arranged chart on all of BEA): Bad Religion - Stranger Than Fiction Beastie Boys - Ill Communication Blur - Parklife The Cranberries - No Need to Argue Green Day - Dookie Hootie & the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View Jeff Buckley - Grace Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible Nas - Illmatic Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die Oasis - Definitely Maybe The Offspring - Smash Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain Portishead - Dummy Soundgarden - Superunknown Stone Temple Pilots Purple Weezer - Weezer (The Blue Album) 2Pac - Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. Now, obviously (as with most threads I've made on BEA) I want there to be tremendous discussion about this. "Best year" is possibly the most openly debatable topic possible, as I can state objectively that it is IMPOSSIBLE to empirically determine what individual year is better than all the rest. However, I don't mean for this to be a tournament like BEMV, etc; rather simply a discussion, and if we want, for fun we can tally the votes and try to see what the consensus on the boards is. I expect a lot of disagreement and agreement alike, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts. Side note: I would've included a poll, but I only get X number of poll options, meaning I either have to A: group years together in sevens or eights, or B: exclude years/groups of years entirely. B is a terrible option and A relies on every single voter then commenting with which specific year they voted for.

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Patman360 Serenity Now Moderator Profile
Cork, Ireland

But 2009 gave us this.

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And So I Watch You From Afar by And So I Watch You From Afar
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2023
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Bach Profile
Italy

1994, 1995 and 1997.
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"De gustibus non disputandum est"

Norman Bates Profile
Paris, France

1967. At least ten masterpieces (VU & N, Forever Changes, Chelsea Girl, Something Else, Goodbye & Hello, Younger than Yesterday, Sgt. Pepper's, Tim Hardin 2, I Never Loved a Man, The Piper).

1977 a close second.

SquishypuffDave Profile

AgainstMeAgainstYou wrote:

Oh yes, 2009. Not a fan at all. If Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is the "best" thing that came out that year, then I'd say it's pretty much doomed.

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is not even remotely the best thing that year. Didn't even make my year chart.

Fever Ray's self titled came out that year, which is in my all time top 20.
Portico Quartet - Isla
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion / Fall Be Kind
St Vincent - Actor (my favourite of hers)
Flaming Lips - Embryonic (my favourite of theirs)
Ben Frost - By The Throat
Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
The Antlers - Hospice
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - s/t

And a few other pretty great albums. By no means a terrible year.

meccalecca Voice of Reason Profile
The Land of Enchantment

SquishypuffDave wrote:

2007 was the best year for art in general.

Now that's a statement I'd love to see backed up.

2007 > any time during the Renaissance?

2007 > Duchamp's Dadaist breakthru in 1917?

2007 > the birth of film?

2007 was good but hardly an important year for art.
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sp4cetiger

1969, because of these:

Dusty in Memphis by Dusty Springfield

The Velvet Underground by The Velvet Underground

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Abbey Road by The Beatles

Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones

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Hot Rats by Frank Zappa

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Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band

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Stand! by Sly and the Family Stone

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Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere by Neil Young And Crazy Horse

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In A Silent Way by Miles Davis

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Oar by Alexander Spence

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Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake

AgainstMeAgainstYou Profile
Ajax, ON

I do think that MPP is a phenomenal album (THAT's what I keep forgetting to add to my overall chart, thank you) but it's not enough to save 2009 for me. I just find it a really underwhelming year.

Antonio-Pedro Subspace Highway Traveler Profile
Rain forest Kingdom

1977 Team

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Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols by Sex Pistols

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Trans-Europe Express by Kraftwerk

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The Clash by The Clash

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Rumours by Fleetwood Mac

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"Heroes" by David Bowie

Talking Heads: 77 by Talking Heads

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Low by David Bowie

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Pink Flag by Wire

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The Idiot by Iggy Pop

Marquee Moon by Television

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Suicide by Suicide

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Animals by Pink Floyd

and Bat Out Of Hell

Best Songs
Anarchy In The U.K - Sex Pistols
Marquee Moon - Television
Heroes - David Bowie
White Riot - The clash
Go your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
Europe Endless - Kraftwerk
Stayin' alive - Bee Gees
Lust For Life - Iggy Pop
River Song - Dennis Wilson
Zombie - Fela Kuti
Orgasm Addict - Buzzcocks

SquishypuffDave Profile

meccalecca wrote:

2007 was good but hardly an important year for art.

Hey, I never said it was important. Just has my favourite art in it. Music, films, videogames, etc. Not the best for literature, but you can't win them all.

meccalecca Voice of Reason Profile
The Land of Enchantment

SquishypuffDave wrote:

Hey, I never said it was important. Just has my favourite art in it. Music, films, videogames, etc. Not the best for literature, but you can't win them all.

no doubt. Just giving you shit for the big statement.
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