Your Favorite Year(s) of Music

[betao]

What are some of your favorite years of music and why? What albums were released? was there something about a certain genre or scene that made it stand out?

My personal favorite is 1994:
- NIN's "The Downward Spiral
- Underworld's "Dubnobasswithmyheadman"
- Portishead's "Dummy"
- Prodigy's "Music For The Jilted Generation"
- Bark Pyschosis's "Hex"
- Boredom's "Chocolate Synthesizer"

also, 1991:
- Primal Scream's "Screamadelica"
- My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless"
- Chapterhouse's "Whirlpool"
- A Tribe Called Quest's "Low End Theory"

1989:
- Pixie's "Doolittle"
- Spacemen 3's "Playing With Fire"
- The Cure's "Disintegration"

1979:
- Joy Division's "Unknown Pleasures"
- Throbbing Gristle's "20 Jazz Funk Greats"
- The Clash's "London Calling"
- Pink Floyd's "The Wall"

lastly, 1997:
- Radiohead's "OK computer"
- Prodigy's "Fat of the Land"
- Chemical Brothers' "Surrender"
- Primal Scream's "Vanishing Point"
- Mogwai - "Mogwai Young Team"
-

[TallGuyCM]

1991:

Pearl Jam - Ten
Nirvana - Nevermind
Soundgarden - Superunknown

A very memorable year as a kid.

[keep2thestreets]

1997

[algunz]

1977

I wasn't music aware back then, so someone else can step in to provide the evidence. There was sooooo much going on in every genre.

[TomAz]

The 1980 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll

Albums
1. The Clash: London Calling (Epic) 1347 (89)
2. Bruce Springsteen: The River (Columbia) 973 (80)
3. Talking Heads: Remain in Light (Sire) 863 (77)
4. Pretenders: Pretenders (Sire) 702 (68) *
5. Public Image Ltd.: Second Edition (Island) 625 (51) **
6. Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band: Doc at the Radar Station (Virgin) 594 (56)
7. Elvis Costello & the Attractions: Get Happy!! (Columbia) 571 (53)
8. Stevie Wonder: Hotter Than July (Tamla) 400 (35)
9. Prince: Dirty Mind (Warner Bros.) 383 (38)
10. Gang Of Four: Entertainment! (Warner Bros.) 383 (30)
11. Peter Gabriel: Peter Gabriel (Mercury) 280 (31)
12. Steely Dan: Gaucho (MCA) 268 (24)
13. Michael Jackson: Off the Wall (Epic) 267 (24) *
14. Peter Townshend: Empty Glass (Atco) 251 (26)
15. Rockpile: Seconds Of Pleasure (Columbia) 232 (28)
16. X: Los Angeles (Slash) 229 (22)
17. The Feelies: Crazy Rhythms (Stiff) 221 (19)
18. Dire Straits: Making Movies (Warner Bros.) 209 (24)
19. David Bowie: Scary Monsters (RCA Victor) 186 (19)
20. The Rolling Stones: Emotional Rescue (Rolling Stones) 181 (19)
21. The English Beat: I Just Can't Stop It (Sire) 178 (22)
22. Joy Division: Closer (Factory import) 166 (13)
23. Smokey Robinson: Warm Thoughts (Tamla) 165 (17)
24. Squeeze: Argybargy (A&M) 153 (14)
25. Young Marble Giants: Colossal Youth (Rough Trade import) 152 (15)
26. T-Bone Burnett: Truth Decay (Takoma) 150 (15)
27. Van Morrison: Common One (Warner Bros.) 148 (19)
28. The Police: Zenyatta Mondatta (A&M) 146 (15)
29. Lydia Lunch: Queen of Siam (ZE) 143 (12)
30. Iron City Houserockers: Have a Good Time (But Get Out Alive) (MCA) 139 (14)
31. Professor Longhair: Crawfish Fiesta (Alligator) 138 (15)
32. The Specials: The Specials (Chrysalis) 125 (13)
Neil Young: Hawks and Doves (Reprise) 125 (13)
34. Arthur Blythe: Illusions (Columbia) 122 (15)
35. Carlene Carter: Musical Shapes (Warner Bros.) 120 (15)
36. Graham Parker: The Up Escalator (Arista) 116 (12)
37. John Lennon/Yoko Ono: Double Fantasy (Geffen) 114 (12)
38. Joan Armatrading: Me Myself I (A&M) 108 (10)
39. Diana Ross: Diana (Motown) 106 (16)
40. Pink Floyd: The Wall (Columbia) 103 (9) *

[canexplain]

1967 plus we had the summer of love .... cr****

Winter

Younger Than Yesterday - The Byrds
Mellow Yellow - Donovan
The Doors - The Doors (debut)
More of The Monkees - The Monkees
King & Queen - Otis Redding and Carla Thomas
Between the Buttons - The Rolling Stones
The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland - The Supremes
Spring

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits - Bob Dylan
Up, Up and Away - The 5th Dimension (debut)
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You - Aretha Franklin
The Grateful Dead - Grateful Dead (debut)
I'm a Lonesome Fugitive - Merle Haggard
Surrealistic Pillow - Jefferson Airplane
The Marvelettes - The Marvelettes
Headquarters - The Monkees
12 Greatest Hits - Patsy Cline
How Great Thou Art - Elvis Presley
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim - Frank Sinatra
Temptations Live! - The Temptations
Happy Together - The Turtles
The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground (debut)
Summer

Joan - Joan Baez
Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 2 - The Beach Boys
Smiley Smile - The Beach Boys
Bee Gees 1st - Bee Gees
Big Brother and the Holding Company - Big Brother and the Holding Company (debut)
The Byrds' Greatest Hits - The Byrds
Brighten the Corner - Ella Fitzgerald
Aretha Arrives - Aretha Franklin
Are You Experienced? - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (debut)
Winds of Change - Eric Burdon & the Animals
Moby Grape - Moby Grape
Absolutely Free - The Mothers of Invention
The Sound of Wilson Pickett - Wilson Pickett
The Temptations with a Lot o' Soul - The Temptations
Little Games - The Yardbirds
Autumn

Wild Honey - The Beach Boys
Magical Mystery Tour - The Beatles
Buffalo Springfield Again - Buffalo Springfield
It Must Be Him - Vikki Carr
Disraeli Gears - Cream
A Gift from a Flower to a Garden (Wear Your Love Like Heaven, For Little Ones) - Donovan
Greatest Hits - Diana Ross and The Supremes
Strange Days - The Doors
John Wesley Harding - Bob Dylan
The Magic Garden - The 5th Dimension
United - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Alice's Restaurant - Arlo Guthrie
Branded Man - Merle Haggard
Everybody Needs Love - Gladys Knight & the Pips
After Bathing At Baxter's - Jefferson Airplane
Forever Changes - Love
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones, Ltd. - The Monkees
Days of Future Passed - The Moody Blues
Blowin' Your Mind! - Van Morrison
Pleasures Of The Harbor - Phil Ochs
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (condensed version) - Pink Floyd
Clambake (OST) - Elvis Presley
Procol Harum - Procol Harum
Their Satanic Majesties Request - The Rolling Stones
Seen in Green - The Seekers
Silk & Soul - Nina Simone
The Temptations in a Mellow Mood - The Temptations
The Who Sell Out - The Who
Safe as Milk - Captain Beefheart
[edit] Charting 1968 albums released in 1967 in Britain
Axis: Bold as Love - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Something Else By The Kinks - The Kinks

[MuseRadio]

1991:

Pearl Jam - Ten
Nirvana - Nevermind
Soundgarden - Superunknown

A very memorable year as a kid.

Thats likely my favorite too.
I'll add

Metallica - The Black Album
Guns n' Roses - Use Your Illusion
U2- Achtung Baby
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar
Michael Jackson - Dangerous (enjoyed immensely as a kid)
Smashing Pumpkins - Gish

[TomAz]

1967 plus we had the summer of love .... cr****

Clambake (OST) - Elvis Presley

...

[JustSteve]

Thats likely my favorite too.
I'll add

Metallica - The Black Album
Guns n' Roses - Use Your Illusion
U2- Achtung Baby
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar
Michael Jackson - Dangerous (enjoyed immensely as a kid)
Smashing Pumpkins - Gish

that was a great year/time to be a teenager, was 14/15 myself

pretty much the early to mid 90's was amazing to me and i can still pull out a cd of any band i listened to back then and remember the sounds, smells, and good times i had back then.

[Boourns]

1991:

Pearl Jam - Ten
Nirvana - Nevermind
Soundgarden - Superunknown

A very memorable year as a kid.

Superunknown was 1994.

[york707]

badmotorfinger

[york707]

And speaking of, I am so pissed I long ago lost my copy of Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas

[Boourns]

Not sure about favorite, but 1998 was really good:
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Portishead - Roseland NYC
Pulp - This Is Hardcore
Elliott Smith - XO
Cat Power - Moon Pix
Massive Attack - Mezzanine
Air - Moon Safari
Beck - Mutations
Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children
UNKLE - Psyence Fiction

[TomAz]

Some of you people have shit for taste.

[mahhhc]

in recent memory 2007 looked pretty good to me

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
The National - Boxer
Radiohead - In Rainbows
MIA - Kala
Justice - †
Kanye West - Graduation

[MissingPerson]

Yeah, maybe I've just got a very short memory, and maybe narrow tastes, but 2007 was pretty kind to me. Seemed like there was an album I loved out every month. The two subsequent years felt fairly scrawny in comparison.

[bmack86]

I always think of 1984:
Double Nickels on the Dime by the Minutemen
Zen Arcade by Husker Du
Let It Be by the Replacements
Purple Rain by Prince
Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen
Reckoning by REM
II by the Meat Puppets
Stop Making Sense by the Talking Heads
The Smiths by The Smiths

That's from the Pazz and Jop list at least. I know there were more cool things that came out that year.

Edit: like My War by Black Flag
Edit: and The Unforgettable Fire by U2

[amyzzz]

1991 seemed like a good year when I was living through it obsessing over shoegazer bands. (Curve, Chapterhouse, Catherine Wheel...)

[woogie846]

1977:

The Clash - s/t
Pink Floyd - Animals
Meat Loaf - Bat out of Hell
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Exodus
Parliament - Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome
Elvis Costello - My Aim is True
Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express
Talking Heads - 77
The Ramones - Rocket to Russia

[woogie846]

Wait wait wait...1959 was a powerhouse in terms of jazz.

Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
John Coltrane - Giant Steps
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out
Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come
Ella Fitzgerald - Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook
Ray Charles - The Genius of Ray Charles

[betao]

I always think of 1984:
Double Nickels on the Dime by the Minutemen
Zen Arcade by Husker Du
Let It Be by the Replacements
Purple Rain by Prince
Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen
Reckoning by REM
II by the Meat Puppets
Stop Making Sense by the Talking Heads
The Smiths by The Smiths

That's from the Pazz and Jop list at least. I know there were more cool things that came out that year.

Edit: like My War by Black Flag
Edit: and The Unforgettable Fire by U2

Cant forget Echo & The Bunnymen's "Ocean Rain" either. 84 was indeed a good one.

[bmack86]

And This Is Spinal Tap soundtrack.
The Pros and Cons of Hitch-Hiking by Roger Waters.
The Top by the Cure.
Legend, that really awesome Bob Marley compilation.
Hyaena by Siouxsie and the Banshees.
From Her to Eternity by Nick Cave.
Ride the Lightning by Metallica
The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall
Welcome to the Pleasuredome by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
The Age of Consent by Bronski Beat
Hatful of Hollow by the Smiths
Treasure by Cocteau Twins
Slip it in by Black Flag
Live '84 by Black Flag
Climate of the Hunter by Scott Walker
E2-E4 by Manuel Gottsching
Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise by Art of Noise
When In Rome Do As The Vandals Do by The Vandals

Yeah, 1984 was a fucking amazing year.

[paulthomasanderson]

1984 - Van Halen
The Works - Queen
Some Great Reward - Depeche Mode
Valotte - Julian Lennon
Who's Last - The Who (Live album)
Like a Virgin - Madonna

And lastly, the Stone Roses, My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr., and Yo La Tengo all formed in that year. I'd have to go with this year as well.

[bmack86]

and Milk and Honey by Lennon and Ono. Isn't that the last John Lennon album? It's not great, but it's got that going for it at least.

[paulthomasanderson]

Yeah, it was already projected to be the follow-up to Double Fantasy. Great album. What a year.

[rskapcat]

If I was stuck with only albums from 1971, I wouldn't complain.

Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey
Can - Tago Mago
Elton John - Madman Across the Water
Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story
The Who - Who's Next

2007 as well, as someone mentioned above.

Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Menomena - Friend and Foe
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Interpol - Our Love To Admire
Okkervil River - The Stage Names
Shout Out Louds - Our Ill Wills

1994, and not for any of the reasons the OP listed. (Well, maybe Dummy.)

Tori Amos - Under the Pink
Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Selena - Amor Prohibido (Yeah, yeah...laugh all you want.)
Blur - Parklife
Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary
NOFX - Punk In Drublic
Stereolab - Mars Audiac Quintet
Jeff Buckley - Grace
Sebadoh - Bakesale
They Might Be Giants - John Henry
Tom Petty - Wildflowers

Actually, I think 1994 would win that three-way battle.

[juloxx]

Anytime in the the 90's.