The music geek's equivalent to mental push-ups is one currently making the rounds on various music blogs: a list of favorite albums for every year since you were born. We've given it our own spin and instead of following the specified annuary approach, we decided to simply compile our list with favorite albums for each of the last 40 years. (Many years were tough but 1969 and 1986 were especially difficult to pare down to a sole album.)
A caveat: because of the restrictions inherent in this sort of exercise, less favored albums may appear in lieu of more cherished ones due to the former having little competition in their respective year, whereas the latter may have had some fine rivals for our attention to contend with.
So, here they are. What about yours?
1969 – THE BEATLES Abbey Road [Apple]
1970 – PAUL McCARTNEY McCartney [Apple]
1971 – TODD RUNDGREN Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren [Bearsville]
1972 – YES Close to the Edge [Atlantic]
1973 – PINK FLOYD Dark Side of the Moon [Harvest]
1974 – KING CRIMSON Red [EG]
1975 – LED ZEPPELIN Physical Grafitti [SwanSong]
1976 – PETER FRAMPTON Frampton Comes Alive! [A&M]
1977 – SEX PISTOLS Nevermind the Bollocks… [Warner Bros]
1978 – VAN HALEN self-titled [Warner Bros]
1979 – THE POLICE Regatta de Blanc [A&M]
1980 – THE PRETENDERS self-titled [Sire]
1981 – KING CRIMSON Discipline [Warner Bros]
1982 – RALPH TOWNER Blue Sun [ECM]
1983 – YES 90125 [Atco]
1984 – THE SMITHS Hatful of Hollow [Rough Trade]
1985 – SCRITTI POLITTI Cupid and Psyche ‘85 [Warner Bros]
1986 – PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED Album [Elektra]
1987 – GUNS N' ROSES Appetite For Destruction [Geffen]
1988 – LIVING COLOUR Vivid [Epic]
1989 – XTC Oranges and Lemons [Geffen]
1990 – JANE’S ADDICTION Ritual de lo Habitual [Warner Bros]
1991 – NIRVANA Nevermind [DGC]
1992 – PAUL WELLER self-titled [Go!]
1993 – SODA STEREO Dynamo [Sony US Latin]
1994 – SOUNDGARDEN Superunknown [A&M]
1995 – FOO FIGHTERS self-titled [Roswell/Capitol]
1996 – THE POSIES Amazing Disgrace [DGC]
1997 – RADIOHEAD OK Computer [Parlophone]
1998 – BECK Mutations [DGC]
1999 – THE FLAMING LIPS The Soft Bulletin [Warner Bros]
2000 – AIMEE MANN Bachelor No.2 [Superego]
2001 – JON BRION Meaningless [Straight to Cut Out]
2002 – BECK Sea Change [DGC]
2003 – NADA SURF Let Go [Barsuk]
2004 – MATTHEW SWEET Kimi Ga Suki [RCAM]
2005 – FREELOADER Cantina Claqueur [JSS]
2006 – THE RACONTEURS Broken Boy Soldiers [Third Man/V2]
2007 – IRON & WINE The Shepherd's Dog [SubPop]
2008 – AMERICAN MUSIC CLUB The Golden Age [Merge]
2009 – PEARL JAM Backspacer [Monkeywrench/Island]
