Your Albums of the Year Over Time

[twosuitsluke]

Well I manage to pretty much sort my iTunes library so the years are accurate (at least I think). This is a work in progress, as it's just as far as I got tonight:

1965: The Beatles - Rubber Soul
1966: The Beatles - Revolver
1967: The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
1968: Cream - Wheels of Fire
1969: Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I
1970: Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
1971: Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
1972: Black Sabbath - Vol. 4
1973: Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
1974: Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness First Finale
1975: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
1976: Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
1977: John Williams - Star Wars A New Hope OST
1978: Black Sabbath - Never Say Die!
1979: AC/DC - Highway to Hell
1980: Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
1981: Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
1982: John Williams - E.T The Extra Terrestrial OST
1983: Metallica - Kill 'em All
1984: Metallica - Ride the Lightning
1985: Slayer - Hell Awaits
1986: Metallica - Master of Puppets
1987: King Diamond - Abigail
1988: Metallica - ...and Justice for All
1989: Operation Ivy - Energy
1990: Megadeth - Rust In Peace
1991: Metallica - The Black Album
1992: Pantera - A Vulgar Display of Power
1993: Bad Religion - Recipe for Hate
1994: Pantera - Far Beyond Driven
1995: Rancid - ...and Out Come the Wolves

I'll try to finish this off over the weekend. It all gets significantly harder from here. I didn't need to do this to realise that 2005 was the best year ever in music, as far as I'm concerned. Just so many incredible albums.

[TAC]

1981: Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
1982: John Williams - E.T The Extra Terrestrial OST
1983: Metallica - Kill 'em All
1984: Metallica - Ride the Lightning
1985: Slayer - Hell Awaits
1986: Metallica - Master of Puppets
1987: King Diamond - Abigail
1988: Metallica - ...and Justice for All

Something is sticking out like a sore thumb!

[Dedalus]

1959-1979 (just an attempt)

1959 - Kind of Blue (Miles Davis)
1960 - Sketches of Spain (Miles Davis)
1961 - My Favorite Things (John Coltrane)
1962 - Howlin' Wolf (Howlin' Wolf)
1963 - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (Bob Dylan)
1964 - Getz/Gilberto (Stan Getz and João Gilberto)
1965 - Rubber Soul (The Beatles)
1966 - Revolver (The Beatles)
1967 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles)
1968 - The Beatles (The Beatles)
1969 - Tommy (The Who)
1970 - Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath)
1971 - Fragile (Yes)
1972 - Thick as a Brick (Jethro Tull)
1973 - The Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd)
1974 - Burn (Deep Purple)
1975 - Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)
1976 - Virgin Killer (Scorpions)
1977 - Animals (Pink Floyd)
1978 - Hemispheres (Rush)
1979 - Joe's Garage (Frank Zappa)

[The Realm]

1981: Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
1982: John Williams - E.T The Extra Terrestrial OST
1983: Metallica - Kill 'em All
1984: Metallica - Ride the Lightning
1985: Slayer - Hell Awaits
1986: Metallica - Master of Puppets
1987: King Diamond - Abigail
1988: Metallica - ...and Justice for All

Something is sticking out like a sore thumb!

Too much Metallica?

[twosuitsluke]

1981: Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
1982: John Williams - E.T The Extra Terrestrial OST
1983: Metallica - Kill 'em All
1984: Metallica - Ride the Lightning
1985: Slayer - Hell Awaits
1986: Metallica - Master of Puppets
1987: King Diamond - Abigail
1988: Metallica - ...and Justice for All

Something is sticking out like a sore thumb!

Yea, 1981 was a slow year, I had to put some trash in!

[TAC]

1981 is my favorite year of music.

[twosuitsluke]

1981 is my favorite year of music.

I was limited by what is in my iTunes library. I really didn't have much in 1981. What am I missing then? 

[pg1067]

I skipped a few years because nothing came to mind.

1969 - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
1970 - Black Sabbath - Paranoid
1971 - Yes - Fragile
1972 - Yes - Close to the Edge
1973 - Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans
1974 - Yes - Relayer
1975 - Rush - Fly by Night
1976 - 3-way tie between Genesis - A Trick of the Tail, Kansas - Leftoverture and Rainbow - Rising
1977 - Rush - A Farewell to Kings
1978 - Rush - Hemispheres
1979 - UFO - Strangers in the Night (just barely made it!)
1980 - Rush - Permanent Waves
1981 - Rush - Moving Pictures
1982 - Rush - Signals
1983 - Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
1984 - This year is fucking impossible to decide!  4-way tie between Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith, Iron Maiden - Powerslave, Triumph Thunder Seven and Queensryche - The Warning
1985 - Iron Maiden - Live After Death
1986 - Metallica - Master of Puppets
1987 - Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I
1988 - 3-way tie between Fates Warning - No Exit, Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime and Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys, Part II
1989 - Fates Warning - Perfect Symmetry
1990 - Judas Priest - Painkiller
1991 - Fates Warning - Parallels
1992 - Dream Theater - Images and Words
1993 - Rush - Counterparts
1994 - 2-way tie between Dream Theater - Awake and Fates Warning - Inside Out
1995 - Kansas - Freaks of Nature
1996 - Rush - Test for Echo
1997 - Fates Warning - A Pleasant Shade of Gray
1998 - Rush - Different Stages
1999 - Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
2000 - Iron Maiden - Brave New World
2001 - Dream Theater - Live Scenes from New York
2002 - Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
2003 - Dream Theater - Train of Thought
2004 - Dream Theater - Live at Budokan
2005 - Dream Theater - Octavarium
2006 - Dream Theater - Score
2007 - Rush - Snakes & Arrows
2008 -
2009 -
2010 -
2011 - Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
2012 -
2013 - Fates Warning - Darkness in a Different Light
2014 -
2015 -
2016 - Fates Warning - Theories of Flight
2017 -
2018 - Judas Priest - Firepower
2019 - YYNOT - Resonance
2020 - Fates Warning - Long Day Good Night

[pg1067]

1981 is my favorite year of music.

I was limited by what is in my iTunes library. I really didn't have much in 1981. What am I missing then? 

AC/DC - For Those About to Rock We Salute You
Pat Benatar - Precious Time
Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
Blue Oyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin
Def Leppard - High 'n' Dry
Iron Maiden - Killers
Judas Priest - Point of Entry
Motley Crue - Too Fast for Love
Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
Rainbow - Difficult to Cure
Rush - Moving Pictures and Exit...Stage Left
Saxon - Denim and Leather
Michael Schenker Group - MSG
Triumph - Allied Forces
Van Halen - Fair Warning

[TAC]

1981 is my favorite year of music.

I was limited by what is in my iTunes library. I really didn't have much in 1981. What am I missing then? 

AC/DC - For Those About to Rock We Salute You
Pat Benatar - Precious Time
Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
Blue Oyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin
Def Leppard - High 'n' Dry
Iron Maiden - Killers
Judas Priest - Point of Entry
Motley Crue - Too Fast for Love
Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
Rainbow - Difficult to Cure
Rush - Moving Pictures and Exit...Stage Left
Saxon - Denim and Leather
Michael Schenker Group - MSG
Triumph - Allied Forces
Van Halen - Fair Warning

...and...

UFO- The Wild The Willing And The Innocent
Thin Lizzy-Renegade
Riot-Fire Down Under
Lucifer's Friend-Mean Machine
Blackfoot-Marauder
Joe Perry Project-I've Got The Rock And Rolls Again
Accept-Breaker
Ted Nugent-Intensities In Ten Cities
Styx-Paradise Theater
Y&T-Earthshaker
Accept-Breaker
Shooting Star-Hang On For Your Life
Journey-Escape
Kiss-The Elder

[SoundscapeMN]

My thought is not this, but do an AOTY topic for every year. People post top 5-100 albums going back to at least 1965. it would make for a lot of topics, although whoever created it, could do 1 topic and change the subject with a new year, but the thread could get awfully long then.

this is an interesting exercise, but I still think doing Retro Albums of the Year Topics would be more in-depth and thus more interesting. People want to include more than just 1 album, per there's so many others they have to leave off. And we've never done that for years before 2009 or whatever.


1965 The Beatles - Rubber Soul
1966 The Beatles - Revolver
1967 The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
1968 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
1969 The Beatles - Abbey Road
1970 Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother
1971 Yes - Fragile
1972 Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
1973 Genesis - Selling England by the Pound
1974 Yes - Relayer
1975 Queen - A Night at the Opera
1976 Jack Lancaster and Robin Lumley - Marscape
1977 Pink Floyd - Animals
1978 Rush - Hemispheres
1979 Led Zeppelin - In Through the Out Door
1980 Yes - Drama
1981 Rush - Moving Pictures
1982 Rush - Signals
1983 Marillion - Script for a Jester's Tear
1984 Pat Metheny Group - First Circle
1985 Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
1986 Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
1987 Marillion - Clutching at Straws
1988 Fates Warning - No Exit
1989 King's X - Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
1990 Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee
1991 Fates Warning - Parallels
1992 Dream Theater - Images and Words
1993 Jellyfish - Spilt Milk
1994 Marillion - Brave
1995 Kevin Gilbert - Thud
1996 Angra - Holy Land
1997 Fates Warning - A Pleasant Shade of Gray
1998 dredg - Leitmotif (or Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment depending on what is the release year for Leitmotif)
1999 Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt 2: Scenes from a Memory
2000 Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True
2001 Ours - Distorted Lullabies
2002 dredg - El Cielo
2003 John Arch - A Twist of Fate
2004 Marillion - Marbles
2005 The Receiving End of Sirens - Between the Heart and the Synapse
2006 Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third
2007 Kaddisfly - Set Sail the Prairie
2008 Apes & Androids - Blood Moon
2009 Kevin Gilbert - Nuts/Bolts
2010 The River Empires - The River Empires (Epilogue)
2011 Hotel of the Laughing Tree
2012 Pepe Deluxe - Queen of the Wave
2013 The Red Paintings - The Revolution is Never Coming
2014 Fjokra - Thoughtsteps
2015 Small Leaks Sink Ships - Face Yourself, and Remove Your Sandals
2016 Fates Warning - Theories of Flight
2017 Dirt Poor Robins - The Raven Locks Act 3
2018 The Family Crest - The War: Act I
2019 Vonavi - Reflection
2020 Dirt Poor Robins - Dead Horse: The Deluxe Edition

[bobzor]

Nice thread idea! To keep things somewhat simple, I'll start from 1980:

1980: Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
1981: Iron Maiden - Killers
1982: Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
1983: Mercyful Fate - Melissa
1984: Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath
1985: Pentagram - Pentagram (Relentless)
1986: Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
1987: Death - Scream Bloody Gore
1988: Iron Maiden - Seventh son of a Seventh Son
1989: Sepultura - Beneath the Remains

1990: Megadeth - Rust in Peace
1991: Fates Warning - Parallels
1992: Dream Theater - Images and Words
1993: Burzum - Det Som Engang Var
1994: Gorgoroth - Pentagram
1995: Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane
1996: Manowar - Louder than Hell
1997: Dream Theater - Falling into Infinity
1998: Morbid Angel - Formulas Fatal to the Flesh
1999: Dream Theater - Metropolis 2

2000: Fates Warning - Disconnected
2001: Dimmu Borgir - Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia
2002: Immortal - Sons of Northern Darkness
2003: Blut Aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God
2004: Deathspell Omega - Si Monumentum, Reqvires, Circvmspice
2005: Dream Theater - Octavarium
2006: Celtic Frost - Monotheist
2007: MANOWAR - GODS OF WAR
2008: Mgla - Groza
2009: Drudkh - Microcosmos
2010: Ghost - Opus Eponymous

I'll stop here, since I don't know yet how the albums of the year will turn out from 2011 onward. What I can see is that the 80's is QUITE Iron Maiden oriented while the early 90's and early 2000's are very black metal oriented. I'd say from 2010 onward, the extreme metal albums begin to loose ground, opening album of the year positions for later prog metal albums like DT or Haken.

[MirrorMask]

I notice that Manowar "won" two years with you, but I'd daresay is for lack of competition; I prefer way more Kings of Metal (1988) and the MAGNIFICENT, heavy, dark, uncompromising and relentless The Triumph of Steel (1992), but in those year the competition was impossible.

[bobzor]

You are absolutely right. Kings of Metal is my favorite, along with Hail to England and Fighting the World. But those years, Manowar just couldn't compete with the other bands. As for Gods Of War, I wanted to include it because it's so over the top in its über epicness. As for Louder than Hell, I just didn't really find anything else worthwhile. Possible competitors for 1996 could be Cradle Of Filth with Dusk...., Bruce Dickinson with Skunkworks, Dimmu Borgir with Stormblåst, or Dark Funeral with Secrets of the Black Arts. Hmm, come to think of it I might just change my 1996 pick for Bruce Dickinson...

[MirrorMask]

Yeah, Gods of War is kinda over the top, but it's good, especially if you do away with the spoken interludes. And the title track is epic as tr00 fvck and it was many, many albums that they didn't do such a grandiose, epic track.

I love also Hail to England and Sign of the Hammer but in an album with Powerslave and Ride the Lightning there's not much you can do.....

[bobzor]

Yeah, Gods of War is kinda over the top, but it's good, especially if you do away with the spoken interludes. And the title track is epic as tr00 fvck and it was many, many albums that they didn't do such a grandiose, epic track.

I love also Hail to England and Sign of the Hammer but in an album with Powerslave and Ride the Lightning there's not much you can do.....

Yeah, I almost feel bad for not including Powerslave, Operation Mindcrime or any of the Metallica albums. The 80's are savage.

Nice to see some love for Gods of War. The spoken word filler I can live without, but what I enjoy very much are the Army Of The Dead pt 1 and 2 stuff that then culminates in Odin.

[MirrorMask]

Oh yeah, that whole movement is also bombastic and epic  it's a straight prog metal move to have a couple of interludes coming back as the epic ending of another track 

[HOF]

My thought is not this, but do an AOTY topic for every year. People post top 5-100 albums going back to at least 1965. it would make for a lot of topics, although whoever created it, could do 1 topic and change the subject with a new year, but the thread could get awfully long then.

this is an interesting exercise, but I still think doing Retro Albums of the Year Topics would be more in-depth and thus more interesting. People want to include more than just 1 album, per there's so many others they have to leave off. And we've never done that for years before 2009 or whatever.

Yeah, I think a top 5 or top 10 for each year would be a fun exercise (top 100 would be hard though!).

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

1993: Burzum - Det Som Engang Var

2002: Immortal - Sons of Northern Darkness
2003: Blut Aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God
2004: Deathspell Omega - Si Monumentum, Reqvires, Circvmspice
2009: Drudkh - Microcosmos

Some good black metal picks here!

[jingle.boy]

There are some hot takes in here, and pg ... you need to host a roulette so we can fill in your blanks.

I think I’m biggest  was Kev putting R&H ahead of Mindcrine, but Joshua Tree didn’t make his list.

I finished mine, and will post after a quick scan tomorrow.

[pg1067]

...and...

UFO- The Wild The Willing And The Innocent
Thin Lizzy-Renegade
Riot-Fire Down Under
Lucifer's Friend-Mean Machine
Blackfoot-Marauder
Joe Perry Project-I've Got The Rock And Rolls Again
Accept-Breaker
Ted Nugent-Intensities In Ten Cities
Styx-Paradise Theater
Y&T-Earthshaker
Accept-Breaker
Shooting Star-Hang On For Your Life
Journey-Escape
Kiss-The Elder

Damn...you could have won a few bucks betting me whether Paradise Theatre was from 1980 or 81.

There are some hot takes in here, and pg ... you need to host a roulette so we can fill in your blanks.

If I knew what that meant, I might.

[425]

My thought is not this, but do an AOTY topic for every year. People post top 5-100 albums going back to at least 1965. it would make for a lot of topics, although whoever created it, could do 1 topic and change the subject with a new year, but the thread could get awfully long then.

this is an interesting exercise, but I still think doing Retro Albums of the Year Topics would be more in-depth and thus more interesting. People want to include more than just 1 album, per there's so many others they have to leave off. And we've never done that for years before 2009 or whatever.

FWIW I have nothing against it at all if people want to post more than one album. I was thinking about making a second post at some point with my second choice from each year. But it's true that going more in-depth than that here would be overload. If you eventually get to year topics for some more recent years, I'd love to participate in those. I just won't have much to say for the 60s and 70s.

[WardySI]

Nice, love a good list thanks for the thread!

This was hard and came with surprises  and the years 82 (an impossible task with Number Of The Beast, Screaming For Vengeance and Borrowed Time), 87, 88, and surprisingly 1994 and 2008 all proved some of the hardest to choose from.

Anyway started with the year my own collection gathered real momentum and tbh nostalgia played large part. Of course always subject to change but at this moment my chosen (preferably vinyl) spins would be...

1980 Heaven And Hell / Black Sabbath
1981 Mob Rules / Black Sabbath
1982 Borrowed Time / Diamond Head
1983 Sports / Huey Lewis & The News
1984 Reckless / Bryan Adams
1985 For The Working Class Man / Jimmy Barnes
1986 Howling / The Angels
1987 Whitesnake / Whitesnake
1988 Touch / Noiseworks
1989 Whitesnake / Slip Of The Tongue
1990 Empire / Queensryche
1991 No More Tears / Ozzy Osbourne
1992 Images And Words / Dream Theater
1993 Candlebox / Candlebox
1994 Superuknown / Soundgarden
1995 The X Factor / Iron Maiden
1996 Down On The Upside / Soundgarden
1997 Accident Of Birth / Bruce Dickinson
1998 Chemical Wedding / Bruce Dickinson
1999 Home / Sevendust
2000 Brave New World / Iron Maiden
2001 Beyond Good And Evil / The Cult
2002 Audioslave / Audioslave
2003 The Dying Daylights / Charon
2004 One Day Remains / Alter Bridge
2005 Paradise Lost / Paradise Lost
2006 Burden Of Truth / Circle II Circle
2007 In Requiem / Paradise Lost
2008 Chinese Democracy / GNR
2009 Skyforger / Amorphis
2010 Cold Day Memory / Sevendust
2011 Wasting Light / Foo Fighters
2012 King Animal / Soundgarden
2013 Darkness Different Light / Fates Warning
2014 Hymns For The Broken / Evergrey
2015 Under The Red Cloud / Amorphis
2016 Theories Of Flight / Fates Warning
2017 Indestructible / Iced Earth
2018 All I See Is War / Sevendust
2019 The Atlantic / Evergrey
2020 Obsidian / Paradise Lost


ETA am confident Spread Eagle's Open To The Public was released 93 and CD says so too but Google is divided between 92 and 93. Doubt it would beat Candlebox for 93 anyways but hmmm...!?

[425]

1995 The X Factor / Iron Maiden

You absolutely love to see it.

for Brave New World, Skyforger and Theories of Flight, too.

[WardySI]

1995 The X Factor / Iron Maiden

You absolutely love to see it.

for Brave New World, Skyforger and Theories of Flight, too.

Absolutely

[Zoom E]

This was an interesting exercise.

Wardy, glad to see I’m not the only one with some love for Diamond Head 

1970: Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
1971: Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
1972: Deep Purple - Machine Head
1973: Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
1974: UFO - Phenomenon
1975: Scorpions - In Trance
1976: Scorpions - Virgin Killer
1977: Scorpions - Taken By Force
1978: Van Halen - Van Halen
1979: Pink Floyd - The Wall
1980: Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
1981: Def Leppard - High ‘n’ Dry
1982: Scorpions - Blackout
1983: Diamond Head - Canterbury
1984: Queensryche - Warning
1985: Magnum - On A Storyteller’s Night
1986: Queensryche - Rage for Order
1987: Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1
1988: Queensryche - Operation: mindcrime
1989: Faith No More - The Real Thing
1990: Megadeth - Rust In Peace
1991: Metallica - Metallica
1992: Dream Theater - Images and Words
1993: Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
1994: Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
1995: Faith No More - King For A Day...Fool for A Lifetime
1996: Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
1997: Radiohead - OK Computer
1998: Monster Magnet - Powertrip
1999: Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory
2000: Iron Maiden - Brave New World
2001: System Of A Down - Toxicity
2002: Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane
2003: Muse - Absolution
2004: Nightwish - Once
2005: Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo, l’m Burning Star IV
2006: Queensryche  - Operation: mindcrime II
2007: Nightwish - Dark Passion Play
2008: Metallica - Death Magnetic
2009: Muse - The Resistance
2010: Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare
2011: Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn Of Events
2012: Headspace - I Am Anonymous
2013 : Ayreon - The Theory of Everything
2014: The Black Keys - Turn Blue
2015: The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth In Reprise
2016: Fates Warning - Theories of Flight
2017: Mastodon - Emperor of Sand
2018: Orphaned Land - Unsung Prophets and Dead Messiahs
2019: Dream Theater - Distance Over Time
2020: Ayreon - Transitus

[Dedalus]

1980-1999

1980 - Iron Maiden (Iron Maiden)
1981 - Moving Pictures (Rush)
1982 - Thriller (Michael Jackson)
1983 - 90125 (Yes)
1984 - Powerslave (Iron Maiden)
1985 - Misplaced Childhood (Marillion)
1986 - Master of Puppets (Metallica)
1987 - The Joshua Tree (U2)
1988 - Operation: Mindcrime (Queensrÿche)
1989 - Beneath The Remains (Sepultura)
1990 - Cowboys From Hell (Pantera)
1991 - Metallica (Metallica)
1992 - Images and Words (Dream Theater)
1993 - Chaos A.D. (Sepultura)
1994 - Awake (Dream Theater)
1995 - Draconian Times (Paradise Lost)
1996 - Holy Land (Angra)
1997 - A Pleasant Shade of Gray (Fates Warning)
1998 - Nightfall in Middle-Earth (Blind Guardian)
1999 - Metropolis Pt.2: Scenes from a Memory (Dream Theater)

[KevShmev]

I think I’m biggest  was Kev putting R&H ahead of Mindcrine, but Joshua Tree didn’t make his list.

I think The Joshua Tree is a better album than Rattle and Hum, but INXS's Kick is too special for me to not be my 1987 pick, and as great as Mindcrime is, I listen to Rattle and Hum more than it.  Judgment call.  Empire is my 4th favorite 'Ryche album and was the only one win to win a year here for me (1990 was not a strong year for records).   I couldn't take Rage for Order over 5150 in 1986, and Promised Land (a top 10 all-timer for me) lost in 1994 to Awake (a top 5 all-timer for me).

[wolfking]

Had a crack at this.  Probably albums I've missed but I think this is pretty good.  It's pretty boring in the early years haha;

1970 - Black Sabbath - Paranoid
1971 - Black Sabbath - Master of Reality
1972 - Black Sabbath - Vol. 4
1973 - Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
1974 - UFO - Phenomenon
1975 - Black Sabbath - Sabotage
1976 - Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny
1977 - Judas Priest - Sin After Sin
1978 - Black Sabbath - Never Say Die
1979 - UFO - Strangers in the Night
1980 - Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
1981 - Iron Maiden - Killers
1982 - Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
1983 - Black Sabbath - Born Again
1984 - Iron Maiden - Powerslave
1985 - Gary Moore - Run For Cover
1986 - Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
1987 - King Diamond - Abigail
1988 - Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
1989 - Savatage - Gutter Ballet
1990 - Judas Priest - Painkiller
1991 - Savatage - Streets
1992 - WASP - The Crimson Idol
1993 - Savatage - Edge of Thorns
1994 - Dream Theater - Awake
1995 - Iron Maiden - The X Factor
1996 - Tool - Aenima
1997 - Judas Priest - Jugulator
1998 - Bruce Dickinson - The Chemical Wedding
1999 - Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory
2000 - King Diamond - House of God
2001 - Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness
2002 - Agalloch - The Mantle
2003 - Dream Theater - Train of Thought
2004 - Mastodon - Leviathan
2005 - Allen/Lande - The Battle
2006 - Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death
2007 - Allen/Lande - The Revenge
2008 - Scar Symmetry - Holographic Universe
2009 - Redemption - Snowfall on Judgement Day
2010 - James Labrie - Static Impulse
2011 - Stratovarius - Elysium
2012 - Between the Buried and Me - Parallax 2
2013 - Magnus Karlsson - Freefall
2014 - Primal Fear - Delivering the Black
2015 - Soilwork - The Ride Majestic
2016 - Fates Warning - Theories of Flight
2017 - Trivium - The Sin and the Sentence
2018 - Strotregn - Emptiness Fills the Void
2019 - Insomnium - Heart Like A Grave
2020 - Vanishing Point - Dead Elysium

[jingle.boy]

Thoughts on what I've seen so far:

- it's interesting to see how some peoples' tastes change and evolve over the years (Puppies   )
- to Goose for Ostura.
- Letter M - solid, solid list, even though Images & Words ia 1992… until 2011. 
- Kev ... I almost gave the nod to Purple Rain as well. 
- TAC ... you're one of the last one's I would've figured to have Vision Divine on their list.
- Book of Souls... I just don't get it.  That's a me thing though.
- The Astonishing... The only list that tops for me is "the next album I want to hear Kade threw out the window at some clown walking down the street for some laughs"

Test For Echo, Vapour Trails, and Systematic Chaos are some hot takes (TASTES^TM... I get it.  I'm mostly teasing here)

My list - no live albums, that's cheating .  I thought about these in the context of my entire music listening life.  For instance, nowadays I'd probably grab Edge of Insanity (Tony Mc) or 5150 before Slippery When Wet, but for my lifetime, SWW gets the nod as my 'favorite'.  I also listed some 'additional' albums that are really 1b (or 1c)… most of these are albums that made one of my ‘Top 50’ lists, and there’s no way I couldn’t make a mention of them.

2020 : Defecto  /  Duality
2019 : M.I.GOD.  /  Spectres on Parade
2018 : Mystery  /  Lies And Butterflies (1b - Ostura / The Room)
2017 : Daydream XI  /  The Circus of the Tattered and Torn (1b - Eagleheart / Reverse)
2016 : Now or Never  /  II (1b - Sunburst / Fragments of Creation; 1c - Lords of Black / II)
2015 : Symphony X  /  Underworld (1b Vanden Plas / Netherworld II)
2014 : Evergrey  /  Hymns for the Broken (1b Vanden Plas / Netherworld I)
2013 : Magnus Karlsson  /  FreeFall
2012 : Beyond the Bridge  /  Old Man and The Spirit (1b - Mystery / The World is a Game)
2011 : Flaming Row  /  Elinoire (1b - Epysode / Obsessions)
   
2010 : Anthriel  /  The Pathway (1b - Star One / Victims of the Modern Age)
2009 : Transatlantic  /  The Whirlwind
2008 : Avantasia  /  The Scarecrow (1b - Seventh Wonder / Mercy Falls)
2007 : Mind's Eye  /  A Gentlemen's Hurricaine
2006 : Frost*  /  Milliontown (1b - Beautiful Sin / The Unexpected)
2005 : Frameshift  /  Absence of Empathy (1b - Allen/Lande / The Battle; 1c - Redemption / The Fullness of Time)
2004 : Ayreon  /  The Human Equation
2003 : Dream Theater  /  Train of Thought (1b - Evergrey / Recreation Day)
2002 : Star One  /  Space Metal (1b - Nightwish / Century Child; 1c - Symphony X / The Odyssey; 1d - Spock’s Beard / Snow)
2001 : Transatlantic  /  Bridge Across Forever (1b - Freedom Call / Crystal Empire)
   
2000 : Ayreon  /  The Universal Migrator Part 2 (1b - Symphony X / V:The New Mythology Suite)
1999 : Dream Theater  /  Scenes From a Memory (1b - Spock’s Beard / Day for Night)
1998 : Ayreon  /  Into the Electric Castle (1b - Spock’s Beard / The Kindness of Strangers)
1997 : Symphony X  /  The Divine Wings of Tragedy (1b - Shania Twain / Come On Over)
1996 : Trans-Siberian Orchestra  /  Christmas Eve and Other Stories
1995 : No Doubt  /  Tragic Kingdom (1b - UFO / Walk on Water)
1994 : Pink Floyd  /  The Division Bell
1993 : Harem Scarem  /  Mood Swings (1b - Poison / Native Tongue; 1c - Coverdale/Page / s/t)
1992 : Dream Theater  /  Images and Words (1b Hardline / Double Eclipse)
1991 : Queen  /  Innuendo (1b - Metallica / The Black Album)
   
1990 : Queensryche  /  Empire (1b - Extreme / Pornografitti)
1989 : Skid Row  /  Skid Row (1b - Tesla / The Great Radio Controversy; 1c - Motley Crue / Dr. Feelgood)
1988 : Queensryche  /  Operation Mindcrime
1987 : Pink Floyd  /  Momentary Lapse of Reason (1b - Whitesnake / s/t)
1986 : Bon Jovi  /  Slippery When Wet (1b - Van Halen / 5150; 1c - Tesla / Mechanical Resonance)
1985 : Rush  /  Power Windows
1984 : Slade  /  Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply (1b - Prince / Purple Rain)
1983 : Iron Maiden  /  Piece of Mind (1b - Def Leppard / Pyromania)
1982 : Iron Maiden  /  The Number of the Beast (1b - Michael Jackson / Thriller)
1981 : Rush  /  Moving Pictures (1b - Triumph / Allied Forces)
   
1980 : AC/DC  /  Back in Black (1b - Rush / Permanent Waves)
1979 : Pink Floyd  /  The Wall
1978 : Rush  /  Hemispheres (1b - Styx / Pieces of Eight)
1977 : Rush  /  A Farewell to Kings (1b - Meat Loaf / Bat Out Of Hell; 1c - Styx / The Grand Illusion)
1976 : Boston  /  Boston
1975 : Pink Floyd  /  Wish You Were Here (1b - Led Zeppelin / Physical Graffiti; 1c - Bruce Springsteen / Born To Run)
1974 : Supertramp  /  Crime of the Century
1973 : Pink Floyd  /  Dark Side of the Moon (1b - Elton John / Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)
1972 : Jethro Tull  /  Thick as a Brick (1b - Yes / Close to the Edge)
1971 : Led Zeppelin  /  Zoso (1b - The Who / Who’s Next)
1970 : Led Zeppelin  /  III (1b - Black Sabbath / Paranoid)
1969 : Led Zeppelin  /  II (1b - The Beattles / Abbey Road)

Tear it apart men:

<anxiously await's Kade's>... nevermind - he ninja'd me.

[jingle.boy]

@ Kade... that is one fucking list.  Sabbath/Priest/Maiden take 19 of your spots.

[wolfking]

@ Kade... that is one fucking list.  Sabbath/Priest/Maiden take 19 of your spots.

Most those albums the first 20 years are default picks.  Some years I don't know anything else. 

[wolfking]

Nice diverse list there too Chad.  A couple of matching years between both of us.  I love the b side albums too.

And yeah, I did notice The Astonishing on Tim's list. 

[KevShmev]

Purple Rain in 1984 was an easier pick than I anticipated. The Rush fan in me wanted to pick Grace Under Pressure, but while it has some great stuff on there, it is not a great album from start to finish.  Ride the Lightning and 1984 both were both highly considered as well.  A bunch of other really good ones as well. Strong year.

[Mladen]

I have FINALLY cracked it. 

1963 - Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
1964 - The Beatles - A Hard day's night
1965 - The Beatles - Rubber soul
1966 - The Beach Boys - Pet sounds
1967 - The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's lonely hearts club band
1968 - The Velvet Underground - White light / white heat
1969 - Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Trout mask replica
1970 - Van der Graaf Generator - H to HE, who am the only one
1971 - Black Sabbath - Master of reality
1972 - Yes - Close to the edge
1973 - Led Zeppelin - Houses of the holy
1974 - Camel - Mirage
1975 - Pink Floyd - Wish you were here
1976 - Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
1977 - Pink Floyd - Animals
1978 - Boston - Don't look back
1979 - Thin Lizzy - Black rose
1980 - Rush - Permanent waves
1981 - Judas Priest - Point of entry
1982 - Judas Priest - Screaming for vengeance
1983 - Iron Maiden - Piece of mind
1984 - Metallica - Ride the lightning
1985 - Rush - Power windows
1986 - Iron Maiden - Somewhere in time
1987 - Helloween - Keeper of the seven keys, part 1
1988 - Iron Maiden - Seventh son of a seventh son
1989 - Rush - Presto
1990 - Psychotic Waltz - A Social grace
1991 - Queen - Innuendo
1992 - Dream Theater - Images & words
1993 - Blur - Modern life is rubbish
1994 - Dream Theater - Awake
1995 - Iron Maiden - The X Factor
1996 - Weezer - Pinkerton
1997 - of Montreal - Cherry peel
1998 - Neutral Milk Hotel - In an aeroplane over the sea
1999 - Dream Theater - Metropolis pt 2: Scenes from a memory
2000 - Radiohead - Kid A
2001 - Muse - Origin of symmetry
2002 - Opeth - Deliverance
2003 - Rooney - Rooney
2004 - Slipknot - Vol 3. The Subliminal verses
2005 - Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
2006 - Iron Maiden - A Matter of life and death
2007 - Silverchair - Young modern
2008 - of Montreal - Skeletal lamping
2009 - Mastodon - Crack the Skye
2010 - Blaze Bayley - Promise and terror
2011 - Dream Theater - A Dramatic turn of events
2012 - Stone Sour - House of gold and bones part 1
2013 - of Montreal - Lousy with Sylvianbriar
2014 - Damon Albarn - Everyday robots
2015 - Steven Wilson - Hand. cannot. erase.
2016 - Dream Theater - The Astonishing
2017 - Mastodon - Emperor of sand
2018 - Ghost - Prequelle
2019 - Opeth - In cauda venenum
2020 - Deerhoof - Future teenage cave artists