My Favorite Album of Each Year: 1950-2006

[streetwaves]

Hey guys. This is a list I've been working on recently. Usually when I do this sort of thing it doesn't stay current for very long, either because I change my mind, I hear new music that shakes it up, or I just feel dissatisfied for whatever reason.

What I'm going to do is post the list in its entirety, and possibly use the rest of the thread to discuss it and maybe post reviews of albums on the list from time to time. I'll also include a link to the list on my rateyourmusic page because I'm in the process of making it a "Top 5 Albums" list for each year instead (on RYM I currently have 1959-2005 done in that regard).

Here we go, my favorite releases from 1950-2006:

1950s:
Yma Sumac - Voice of the Xtabay (1950)
John Cage - Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano (Maro Ajemian) (1951)
Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie - Bird and Diz (1952)
Moondog - Moondog and His Friends (1953)
Dorival Caymmi - Canções Praieiras (1954)
Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan (1955)
Béla Bartók - Concerto for Orchestra (Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Fritz Reiner) (1956)
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus (1957)
Nina Simone - Little Girl Blue (1958)
Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come (1959)

1960s:
Charles Mingus - Blues & Roots (1960)
Max Roach - We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite (1961)
Arnold Schoenberg - Pierrot Lunaire (Vladimir Golschmann; Ilona Steingruber) (1962)
Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963)
Eric Dolphy - 'Out to Lunch!' (1964)
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (1965)
Baden Powell & Vinícius de Moraes - Os Afro-Sambas de Baden e Vinícius (1966)
Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)
Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes (1968)
Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm (1969)

1970s:
Exuma - Exuma (1970)
Can - Tago Mago (1971)
Tangerine Dream - Zeit (1972)
João Gilberto - João Gilberto (1973)
Brian Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets (1974)
Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey (1975)
Tom Zé - Estudando o Samba (1976)
Augustus Pablo - King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown (1977)
Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance (1978)
James Chance & The Contortions - Buy (1979)

1980s:
Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1980)
The Gun Club - Fire of Love (1981)
Antena - Camino del sol (1982)
Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones (1983)
Arvo Pärt - Tabula rasa (1984)
Einstürzende Neubauten - ½ Mensch (1985)
Big Black - Atomizer (1986)
Swans - Children of God (1987)
Eric B. & Rakim - Follow the Leader (1988)
不失者 [Fushitsusha] - Live (1989)

1990s:
Boubacar Traoré - Mariama (1990)
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)
Current 93 - Thunder Perfect Mind (1992)
Polvo - Today's Active Lifestyles (1993)
Krzysztof Penderecki - Matrix 5 (1994)
GZA/Genius - Liquid Swords (1995)
Black Tape for a Blue Girl - Remnants of a Deeper Purity (1996)
Iva Bittová & Vladimír Václavek - Bílé Inferno (1997)
Autechre - LP5 (1998)
Boredoms - Vision Creation Newsun (1999)

2000s:
Boris - Flood (2000)
Pelt - Ayahuasca (2001)
William Basinski - The Disintegration Loops (2002)
The Microphones - Mount Eerie (2003)
Charalambides - Joy Shapes (2004)
Coil - The Ape of Naples (2005)
Natural Snow Buildings - The Dance of the Moon and the Sun (2006)

Here's the link to the list on RYM, and it's already a little bit different. I'll have to update the changes soon. This includes my favorite 5 albums from 1959-2005:
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/nebulo...__1950_to_2006

The years I'm most confident of are the 60s and 70s, with some falloff in the 80s, and even more so in the 90s and 2000s. The 50s and the 2000s are semi-equal, and are the two decades I want most to improve my knowledge of.

If your favorite record of year X isn't represented, it may very well be something I like but just don't consider the best of that year. Doesn't mean I don't like it (I might even love it). Certain years, like 1971 for example, are chock-full of great records and even boiling it down to the top 5 is a pain.

Comments / suggestions are welcome! As with any list of albums I hope people discover something new from it, as that's always my favorite part of viewing someone else's list of favorite records. Finding new music is the best part.

[Cuthbert]

Impressive tbh.

Will be downloading some of those.

[streetwaves]

Thanks! Hope you find something you like.

[Circus Horse]

"King Tubby" is a great album, but what about "Talking Heads:77"?

[streetwaves]

Originally Posted by Circus Horse

"King Tubby" is a great album, but what about "Talking Heads:77"?

Very good album! Unfortunately '77 is one of those years chock-full of grade A material. Tons of competition.

[Circus Horse]

Yeah, '77 is a good year for music. In fact, I would say it's one 'o the best.

Fleetwood Mac, "Rumours"
Kraftwerk, "Trans-Europe Express"
David Bowie, "Low"
Steely Dan, "Aja"
Iggy Pop, "The Idiot" and "Lust For Life" (what an output!)
The Wailers, "Exodus"

So many classic albums.

And I can't remember if The Clash's debut was in '77 or '76 but that should get an honorable mention in any list.

[Gavin B.]

Steetwave's selections are an impressive mix of jazz, classical, rock, folk, world and experimental music.

My list would probably have a few more selections in the reggae, blues, soul and psychedelic music categories.

[YorkeDaddy]

streetwaves, I'm curious as to why this list doesn't go beyond 2006 (and I think I've seen other threads of yours that generally cut off around that year as well). Are you not a fan of more recent music or have you just not immersed yourself in it yet? Sweet thread though, there's a few I'm going to check out.

[streetwaves]

Thanks for the comments guys. I'd agree with '77 being one of the best years. '71 is a monster as well.

YorkeDaddy: It's not really that I'm not a fan of more recent music, I just haven't gotten to the point where I'm totally confident about my selections. I definitely don't feel that I've heard enough, so I don't want to speak too soon.

Gavin: thanks! I'm also definitely open to any suggestions you guys have so let me have 'em. I try to listen to as wide a range of stuff as I can or I get bored. World music is a particularly fun world to explore.

[Here4Muzik]

I like seeing Tago Mago on there... unique album. Very interesting tastes, I'll have to check a lot of these outs, some are new to me.