What is your favorite year for music ever?

[zxlkho]

Title says is all. List albums to prove your point if you want.
The top 3 for me would be 2011, 2006, and 2001. I think 2011 takes the cake tbh. This year has just been so amazing.


2011:
Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning
Thrice - Major/Minor
The Dear Hunter - The Color Spectrum
Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Submotion Orchestra - Finest Hour
Protest the Hero - Scurrilous
Mastodon - The Hunter
James Blake - James Blake
Opeth - Heritage
and there's still a few more I'm looking forward too like new Florence + The Machine, Megadeth, and Alcest.


2006:
Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain
Brand New - The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me
The Dear Hunter - Act I
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
Dog Fashion Disco - Adultery
Frost* - Milliontown
Gregor Samsa - 55:12
In Flames - Come Clarity
Isis - In the Absence of Truth
Katatonia - The Great Cold Distance
Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third
Tool - 10,000 Days


2001:
Anathema - A Fine Day to Exit
Converge - Jane Doe
Explosions in the Sky - Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die
Incubus - Morning View
maudlin of the Well - Bath
maudlin of the Well - Leaving Your Body Map
Opeth - Blackwater Park
The Pineapple Theif - 137
Porcupine Tree - Recordings
Royksopp - Melody A.M.
Tool - Lateralus

[Liberation]

1999 or 2007.

1999:
Dream Theater - Scenes From a Memory
Katatonia - Tonight's Decision
Anathema - Judgement
Opeth - Still Life
Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream
Samael - Eternal
Moonspell - The Butterfly Effect

2007:
Riverside - Rapid Eye Movement
Pain of Salvation - Scarsick
Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos
The End - Elementary

[Gorille85]

2011.

[Dark Castle]

2009, 2010 or 2011
Honestly, I could find something about every year that I love though.

[3xodus]

1999

[MasterShakezula]

1893 because New World Symphony

[Kotowboy]

1994

Therapy? Troublegum - My favourite album ever.

Green Day - Dookie - Another all time fave.

Manic St. Preachers - The Holy Bible - Amazing.

Oasis - Definitely Maybe.

Offspring - Smash.

Weezer - Blue Album.

[zxlkho]

94 is indeed a great year. It also has:
Jeff Buckley - Grace
Portishead - Dummy
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
Megadeth - Youthanasia
Live - Throwing Copper
Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies EP

[MasterLomaxus]

2007

RUSH-Snakes & Arrows
Dream Theater-Systematic Chaos

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Can't possibly decide.

[Pols Voice]

1971, 1977, 1995, 1999

[PuffyPat]

2010: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy; I rest my case.

[Jirpo]

1984, 1986, 2011 for me

[Fluffy Lothario]

Probably some year between 1967 and 1973.

[Obfuscation]

I will say 2011 as of right now. Might change once I go back and look at the release dates of some certain albums.

[skydivingninja]

Best year for music that I've lived in was 2009, IMO.  We got:

-The Incident, another amazing addition to the PT catalog
-Crack the Skye, one of the best metal albums ever
-Addicted, ditto
-Ki, one of the most unique and coolest albums ever
-Act III, the Dear Hunter's best
-No More Stories, a super-awesome Mew album
-Black Clouds and Silver Linings, which isn't DT's best, but marked a kind of comeback after the suckiness of Systematic Chaos.
-Octahedron, the best Mars Volta album since De-Loused
-Amor Vincit Omnia, a major stylistic change for Pure Reason Revolution but was still really good. 
-Geneva by Russian Circles
-The Hazards of Love by the Decemberists
-Carving Desert Canyons by Scale the Summit
-Beggars by Thrice, which took a while to really click but once it did OH MAN IS IT GOOD

and I'm sure there's more I missed.

[zxlkho]

@SDN

Brand New - Daisy
Coheed and Cambria - Neverender DVD (the greatest fucking thing ever that isn't called Heima)
dredg - The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion
Florence + The Machine - Lungs
Karnivool - Sound Awake
Oceansize - Feed to Feed DVD
Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition


fuck that year was awesome

[Nick]

2005 will be tough to ever top for me.

Riverside - Second Life Syndrome*
Neal Morse - ?*
Redemption - The Fullness of Time*
Shadow Gallery - Room V*
Kamelot - The Black Halo
Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
Phideaux - Chupacabras
Echolyn - The End is Beautiful
Circus Maximus - The 1st Chapter
Dream Theater - Octavarium
James LaBrie - Elements of Persuasion
Roine Stolt - Wall Street Voodoo
3 - Wake Pig
Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo 1*

*my favorite from that band.

[ZBomber]

Interesting thread. I actually was thinking of making this a few weeks ago but never got around to it.

For me, 1973, 1977, and 2011 would be my top years.

73:
Aerosmith - S/T
Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
Buckingham Nicks - S/T
Camel - S/T
Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run
Pink Floyd - Dark Side
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road/Don't Shoot Me
Fleetwood Mac - Mystery to Me
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic
Billy Joel - Piano Man
The Who - Quadrophenia
Black Sabbath - SBS
Genesis- Selling England

1977:
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Pink Floyd - Animals
Aerosmith - Draw the Line
Rush - A Farewell to Kings
Yes - Going For The One
Billy Joel - The Stranger
Queen - News of the World

2011:
not gonna bother listing these, but i think this has easily been the most solid year of music since I have been born.

[jammindude]

1986:

Metallica - Master of Puppets
Slayer - Reign In Blood
Queensryche - Rage For Order
Metal Church - The Dark
Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?
Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
Queen - A Kind of Magic
Motorhead - Orgasmatron
Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill
Bad Brains - I Against I
Love and Rockets - Express
Tesla - Mechanical Resonance
Boston - Third Stage
Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time
Ratt - Dancing Undercover
Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
Alice Cooper - Constrictor
Timbuk 3 - Greetings From Timbuk 3
Yngwie Malmsteen - Trilogy
Saxon - Rock The Nations

....just to name a few...

[MasterShakezula]

I see plenty of good there, but Rock The Nations certainly isn't. 

[jammindude]

I see plenty of good there, but Rock The Nations certainly isn't.

Ya got me.  It was an "also ran"....   I still *LOVE* the title track, and I was just *really* into Saxon at that time...but you're right, the album is not very good.    I suppose I put it there to represent what I was listening to at that time, but now I regret it because it does detract from the rest of the list.

[KevShmev]

1976:

Kansas - Leftoverture
Rush - 2112
Boston - Boston
Camel - Moonmadness

All four of those would be in my all-time top 30 or 40.

Others:

Billy Joel - Turnstiles
Blue Oyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
Eagles - Hotel California
Frank Zappa - Zoot Allures
Genesis - A Trick of the Tail
Genesis - Wind and Wuthering
Heart - Dreamboat Annie
Jeff Beck - Wired
Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny
Queen - A Day at the Races
Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior
Steely Dan - The Royal Scam
Styx - Crystal Ball

[PixelDream]

Definately 2011. It's a combination of both quantity and quality.

Opeth did their weirdest album to date, Mastodon's new one is incredibly fun. Devin Townsend gets two insanely opposing records out at the same time. DT's new one is quite good, Radiohead released a nice record, Pain of Salvation's RSII was a nice surprise, and Submotion Orchestra delivers my favorite brand of jazz-dub with 'Finest Hour'. Then there's also Jamie Woon who made a really good chillout dub album 'Mirrorwriting'.

And finally Steven Wilson tops them all with possibly his greatest achievement yet. I haven't even scratched the surface of how amazing 2011 is, good to see all your lists to check what I've missed.

[Sigz]

Converge - Jane Doe

Wait what? I thought you hated Converge.

[Zydar]

Probably some year between 1967 and 1973.

This.

Although I've always had a soft spot for 1966, a lot of great albums and singles was released that year.

[zxlkho]

Converge - Jane Doe

Wait what? I thought you hated Converge.

It's grown a bit on me. I still don't think it's the greatest thing ever like some people do, but it deserves to be mentioned due to its acclaim.

[Zantera]

2007

Oceansize - Frames
Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Between the Buried and Me - Colors
The Dear Hunter - Act II
Thrice - The Alchemy Index
Blackfield - Blackfield II
Ulver - Shadows of the Sun
Björk - Volta
Sigur Rós - Hvarf/Heim
Eisley - Combinations
The Pineapple Thief - What We Have Sown
Gazpacho - Night
Stateless - Stateless
Pain of Salvation - Scarsick
Susanne Sundfør - Susanne Sundfør
Tori Amos - American Doll Posse
Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold
Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Fair to Midland - Fables From A Mayfly What I Tell You Three Times Is True
Alcest - Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde
65daysofstatic - The Destruction of Small Ideas
Kate Nash - Made of Bricks
Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight (screw the haters)
Machine Head - The Blackening

Pretty good year in music, and it is my current favorite.
2011 is really good so far, but I can't possibly rank it yet, because one of the most important factors is how many of the albums will still get play-time in a few years, aka. which will still be considered "classics".

[Millais]

not sure. but 2011 has been excellent.

[Iarwain]

1994 is my favorite

Burzum - Hvis lyset tar oss
Dream Theater - Awake
Merzbow - Venereology / Flare Gun / Noisembryo
Boredoms - Chocolate Synthesizer
Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse
Enslaved - Vikingligr veldi
Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley
Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Ulver - Bergtatt
Änglagård - Epilog
Oval - Systemisch
Portishead - Dummy
Tiamat - Wildhoney
Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime
Gravediggaz - 6 Feet Deep
Koenjihyakkei - Hundred Sights of Koenji
Low - I Could Live in Hope
The Magnetic Fields - The Charm of the Highway Strip
Massive Attack - Protection

1995 and 2007 are not far behind.

[ariich]

I think my top 2 are probably the same as yours, Ryan. 2011 has just been ludicrously good!

[contest_sanity]

Nothing (so far) can top 1994 for me:

Dream Theater - Awake

Queensryche - Promised Land

Tom Petty - Wildflowers

Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary

STP - Purple

King's X - Dogman

Soundgarden - Superunknown

Testament - Low

Pantera - Far Beyond Driven

Pearl Jam - Vitalogy

Pink Floyd - The Division Bell

R.E.M. - Monster

The Eagles - Hell Freezes Over

Collective Soul - Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid

Megadeth - Youthanasia

Live - Throwing Copper

Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies

Green Day - Dookie

Oasis - Definitely Maybe

Offspring - Smash

Weezer - Blue Album

Boyz II Men - II

Nirvana - Unplugged

Bush - Sixteen Stone

Dave Matthews Band - Under The Table And Dreaming

Blues Traveler - Four

Toadies - Rubberneck

Hootie and The Blowfish - Cracked Rear View

[JosephAOI]

2011:
Dream Theater: A Dramatic turn Of Events
Opeth: Heritage
Protest The Hero: Scurillous
Born Of Osiris: The Discovery
Scale The Summit: The Collective
Veil Of Maya: ??
The HAARP Machine: ??
Periphery: Icarus EP
Circles: The Compass
Meshuggah:
As I Lay Dying: Decas
Red Seas Fire: Red Seas Fire
Decapitated: Carnival Is Forever
Between The Buried And Me: The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues
The Faceless: ??
Pain Of Salvation: Road Salt Two
Unexpect: Fables Of The Sleepless Empire
Trivium: In Waves
Children Of Bodom: Relentless, Reckless Forever
Animal As Leaders: Weightless
In Flames: Sounds Of A Playground Fading
Five Finger Death Punch: American Capitalist
The Human Abstract: Digital Veil

[TAC]

1986:

Metallica - Master of Puppets
Slayer - Reign In Blood
Queensryche - Rage For Order
Metal Church - The Dark
Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?
Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
Motorhead - Orgasmatron
Tesla - Mechanical Resonance
Boston - Third Stage
Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time
Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
Alice Cooper - Constrictor
Yngwie Malmsteen - Trilogy
Saxon - Rock The Nations

....just to name a few...

Certainly a good year.

[TAC]

This is what I posted in one of the Album Of The Year threads.
The one year that I could not live without is 1981.

UFO-The Wild The Willing And The Innocent
MIchael Schenker Group-MSG
Rush- Moving Pictures
Def Leppard-High n Dry
Thin Lizzy-Renegade

A great year, probably my favorite year for music all time. These 5 are all TAC Top 25's!

HM's
Riot- Fire Down Under
Ozzy Osbourne-Diary Of A Madman
Joe Perry Project- I've Got The Rock And Rolls Again
Van Halen- Fair Warning
Blackfoot-Marauder
Iron Maiden- Killers
Rainbow-Difficult To Cure
Black Sabbath-Mob Rules
Y&T-Earthshaker
Saxon-Denim And Leather
Ted Nugent-Intensities In Ten Cities
Triumph -Allied Forces

1981 FTW