Retro Albums of the Year 2010's: 2020

[MirrorMask]

Also this year is short for me.

1 QUEEN - Queen II.

Absolute masterpiece, in a sense my favorite Queen album. Lot of great songs. Side 2 is legendary. The March of the Black Queen is in my top 3 Queen songs.

2. QUEEN - Sheer Heart Attack
3. JUDAS PRIEST - Rocka Rolla

[WildRanger]

1974:

King Crimson - Red
Queen - Sheer Heart Attack; Queen II
Yes - Relayer
Deep Purple - Burn
Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties
Miles Davis - Get Up With It
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Supetramp - Crime of the Century
Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
Camel - Mirage

[ReaperKK]

Just two for me for 1974:

1. Rush - Rush
2. Joe Pass - Virtuoso

[hefdaddy42]

No particular order:


Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
Funkadelic - Standing on the Verge of Getting it On
Yes - Relayer
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Bad Company - Bad Company
King Crimson - Red
Eagles - On the Border
Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black
Kansas - Kansas
Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
John Coltrane - Interstellar Space

[Dedalus]

Also this year is short for me.

1 QUEEN - Queen II.

Absolute masterpiece, in a sense my favorite Queen album. Lot of great songs. Side 2 is legendary. The March of the Black Queen is in my top 3 Queen songs.

2. QUEEN - Sheer Heart Attack
3. JUDAS PRIEST - Rocka Rolla

Well, apparently I forgot to add Queen II to my list!

Interestingly the album was crossed off my preliminary list (meaning the albums I put on the final list), so it should be on the final list. I don't know what the hell I did 

[Stadler]

Too many to list, and most of what I'd pick have been named elsewhere, with the exception of Kiss's debut and Hotter Than Hell.

But '73, '74 were odd years; the 60's bands were in transition, either hitting new stride - the Stones - or forming new bands - ELP, Zeppelin - or forging solo careers - McCartney - but also, the fans of the 60's bands were now starting to make their own music (Kiss, Rush, Aerosmith, Billy Joel, all big 60's rock fans in their own fashion).

I do know that '72 to '75 is perhaps the most fertile period in my record collection.  Those early Sabbath, Zeppelin, Kiss, Genesis, Yes, ELP, Deep Purple records are the foundation, the cornerstone of everything that came after for me.

[TAC]

For me..

1. KISS-Hotter Than Hell
2. Sweet-Desolation Boulevard
3. UFO-Phenomenon
4. Deep Purple-Burn
5. KISS-s/t
6. Aerosmith-Get Your Wings
7. Scorpions-Fly To The Rainbow
8. Thin Lizzy-Nightlife
9. Rush-s/t
10. Wishbone Ash-There's The Rub
11. Lucifer's Friend-Banquet
12. Deep Purple-Stormbringer
13. Judas Priest-Rocka Rolla
14. Sensational Alex Harvey Band-The Impossible Dream

[HOF]

1974 is kind of tough to rank. Red is the clear favorite, Lamb is the clear least favorite of what I have from that year, but everything in between is pretty fluid.

1. King Crimson - Red
2. Camel - Mirage
3. Yes - Relayer
4. King Crimson - Starless & Bible Black
5. PFM - L'Isola Di Niente
6. Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

[frogprog]

All mine for 1974 have been listed except maybe Bad Company?

[Stadler]

For me..

1. KISS-Hotter Than Hell
2. Sweet-Desolation Boulevard
3. UFO-Phenomenon
4. Deep Purple-Burn
5. KISS-s/t
6. Aerosmith-Get Your Wings
7. Scorpions-Fly To The Rainbow
8. Thin Lizzy-Nightlife
9. Rush-s/t
10. Wishbone Ash-There's The Rub
11. Lucifer's Friend-Banquet
12. Deep Purple-Stormbringer
13. Judas Priest-Rocka Rolla
14. Sensational Alex Harvey Band-The Impossible Dream

There would be a LOT of overlap with my list. A LOT.

[WildRanger]

For me..

1. KISS-Hotter Than Hell
2. Sweet-Desolation Boulevard
3. UFO-Phenomenon
4. Deep Purple-Burn
5. KISS-s/t
6. Aerosmith-Get Your Wings
7. Scorpions-Fly To The Rainbow
8. Thin Lizzy-Nightlife
9. Rush-s/t
10. Wishbone Ash-There's The Rub
11. Lucifer's Friend-Banquet
12. Deep Purple-Stormbringer
13. Judas Priest-Rocka Rolla
14. Sensational Alex Harvey Band-The Impossible Dream

I see your list is 100% hard rock.

[TAC]

For me..

1. KISS-Hotter Than Hell
2. Sweet-Desolation Boulevard
3. UFO-Phenomenon
4. Deep Purple-Burn
5. KISS-s/t
6. Aerosmith-Get Your Wings
7. Scorpions-Fly To The Rainbow
8. Thin Lizzy-Nightlife
9. Rush-s/t
10. Wishbone Ash-There's The Rub
11. Lucifer's Friend-Banquet
12. Deep Purple-Stormbringer
13. Judas Priest-Rocka Rolla
14. Sensational Alex Harvey Band-The Impossible Dream

I see your list is 100% hard rock.

You see 100% correctly!

[hefdaddy42]

For me..

1. KISS-Hotter Than Hell
2. Sweet-Desolation Boulevard
3. UFO-Phenomenon
4. Deep Purple-Burn
5. KISS-s/t
6. Aerosmith-Get Your Wings
7. Scorpions-Fly To The Rainbow
8. Thin Lizzy-Nightlife
9. Rush-s/t
10. Wishbone Ash-There's The Rub
11. Lucifer's Friend-Banquet
12. Deep Purple-Stormbringer
13. Judas Priest-Rocka Rolla
14. Sensational Alex Harvey Band-The Impossible Dream

I see your list is 100% hard rock.

TAC's entire list for all years is 100% hard rock.  He isn't aware that other genres exist.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

1974, The beginning of Rush! Sadly not the best of Rush....

1. King Crimson - Red
2. Supertramp - Crime of the Century
3. Yes - Relayer
4. Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
5. Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties
6. Miles Davis - Get Up With It
7. Rush - Rush
8. Deep Purple - Burn
9. Camel - Mirage
10. Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
11. Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale
12. Kraftwerk - Autobahn
13. Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
14. Hawkwind - Hall of the Mountain Grill
15. Miles Davis - Big Fun
16. Gentle Giant - The Power and the Glory
17. King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black
18. Queen - II
19. Bad Company - Bad Company

[KevShmev]

01 Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
02 Camel - Mirage
03 Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
04 Yes - Relayer
05 Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties
06 Supertramp - Crime of the Century
07 Queen - Queen II
08 Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla
09 King Crimson - Red
10 Bad Company - Bad Company
11 Rush - Rush
12 Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (')
13 David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
14 Herbie Hancock - Thrust

[SoundscapeMN]

1975

From allmediareviews

1975, the year before I was born, and I guess I have thought-of for a long time as the peak or maybe just past the peak of progressive rock and art-rock of the 1st era or original era per say.

And with that, there was a lot of depth from this year, in particular with Classic Rock "classics" and Jazz-Rock especially.

A Night at the Opera for nearly 20 years has been an all-favorite of mine. Stone-Cold landmark record, and my favorite Queen album really since I 1st started checking out their catalog almost 20 years ago. It includes the radio staples of course which I do find still hold up, plus "The Prophet's Song" which I consider Queen's greatest work ever.

But you take that amazing record and then also my #1 records from 2 of my favorite bands ever in Renaissance and Led Zeppelin, and you have a year that is really top heavy. Even just the top 10, man, all ESSENTIALS for me including Born to Run, like A Night at the Opera, includes Bruce's greatest track with "Jungleland."

This year also seemed to include many standout Solo albums, many of which were debut solo records for whatever reason. Maybe by the Mid 70's the *bands* had members who felt it was time to do something outside of their main gigs.

Along with those, there are many debut albums in some cases were some of the artists best work, and others, just a start of bigger and better things to come.

1. Queen - A Night at the Opera
2. Renaissance - Scheherazade and Other Stories
3. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
4. Rush - Caress of Steel
5. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
6. Jethro Tull - Minstrel in the Gallery
7. Chris Squire - Fish out of Water
8. Return to Forever featuring Chick Corea - No Mystery
9. Kansas - Song for America
10. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
11. Steve Hackett - Voyage of the Acolyte
12. Rush - Fly By Night
13. Styx - Equinox
14. Electromagnets - Electromagnets
15. Kansas - Masque
16. Steve Howe - Beginnings
17. Jack Lancaster / Robin Lumley - Peter and the Wolf
18. David Bowie - Young Americans
19. The Eagles - One of These Nights
20. Hall and Oates - Daryl Hall and John Oates

[HOF]

1975 is a weird year for me. This is my biggest year so far in this exercise, but a lot of the albums are comparative weak spots in their respective artists' catalogs. Some good ones still though.

1. PFM - Chocolate Kings
2. Steve Hackett - Voyage of the Acolyte
3. Journey - Journey
4. Weather Report - Black Market
5. Rush - Caress of Steel
6. Rush - Fly by Night
7. Camel - The Snow Goose
8. Art Garfunkel - Breakaway
9. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

[KevShmev]

01 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
02 Triumvirat = Spartacus
03 Black Sabbath - Sabotage
04 Camel - The Snow Goose
05 Kansas - Masque
06 Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow
07 Queen - A Night at the Opera
08 Styx - Equinox
09 Led Zeppelin = Physical Graffiti
10 Kansas - Song for America
11 Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic
12 Rush - Fly by Night
13 David Bowie - Young Americans
14 Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac
15 Electric Light Orchestra - Face the Music
16 Rush - Caress of Steel
17 The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Soundtrack)
18 Renaissance - Scheherazade and Other Stories
19 Little River Band - Little River Band (this makes the list merely off of the strength one of the greatest songs ever, It's a Long Way There)
20 Bad Company - Straight Shooter

[MirrorMask]

My 1975 list, with the top three very diverse in style and very difficult therefore to properly award:

1 - RAINBOW - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
2 - ALICE COOPER - Welcome to My Nightmare
3 - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - Born to Run

4 - QUEEN - A Night at the Opera
5 - BLACK SABBATH - Sabotage

The problem with Rainbow has always been that every album has absolute masterpieces, and a couple of forgettable songs, it's hard to have a 10/10 album with Rainbow, some songs are 25/10 and others are 5/10.

Alice Cooper goes solo, and does one of his best and legendary albums.

Also, Bruce Springsteen shakes the world with his rise into stardom album, Born to Run, even though I have to say all the songs on the album pale to their live renditions. Yeah, Born to Run is good and deserves all the praise it gets, but stuff like Thunder Road, Born to Run and Jungleland if you don't hear them live, you don't know what you're missing.

Queen's ANATO is another legendary album. The Prophet's Song is one of my favorite Queen songs of all time, top 3 I'd say. Sabotage from Sabbath gets a mention just for Symptom of the Universe.

[HOF]

01 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
02 Triumvirat = Spartacus
03 Black Sabbath - Sabotage
04 Camel - The Snow Goose
05 Kansas - Masque
06 Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow
07 Queen - A Night at the Opera
08 Styx - Equinox
09 Led Zeppelin = Physical Graffiti
10 Kansas - Song for America
11 Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic
12 Rush - Fly by Night
13 David Bowie - Young Americans
14 Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac
15 Electric Light Orchestra - Face the Music
16 Rush - Caress of Steel
17 The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Soundtrack)
18 Renaissance - Scheherazade and Other Stories
19 Little River Band - Little River Band (this makes the list merely off of the strength one of the greatest songs ever, It's a Long Way There)
20 Bad Company - Straight Shooter

Hmmm. Is Caress of Steel also 1975? Need to adjust my list.

[KevShmev]

Also, Bruce Springsteen shakes the world with his rise into stardom album, Born to Run, even though I have to say all the songs on the album pale to their live renditions. Yeah, Born to Run is good and deserves all the praise it gets, but stuff like Thunder Road, Born to Run and Jungleland if you don't hear them live, you don't know what you're missing.
 

Born to Run is a classic record for sure, but I never listen to it, which is why I did not put it on my list.  Jungleland is one of the few Bruce songs I will reach for on occasion, and even that is only like once a year.  I have much respect for The Boss and what he has accomplished, but his music is just not something that excites me or makes me want to listen.

[ariich]

Best year so far - two seriously standout albums at the top for me.

1. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here   
2. Queen - A Night at the Opera
3. Crack the Sky - Crack the Sky
4. Parliament - Mothership Connection
5. Average White Band - Cut the Cake
6. Return to Forever - No Mystery
7. Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
8. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
9. Gentle Giant - Free Hand
10. Area - Crac!
11. Chris Squire - Fish Out of Water
12. Gino Vannelli - Storm at Sunup
13. Tower of Power - In the Slot
14. Kansas - Masque
15. Can - Landed

I also vaguely know the two Rush albums from that year, but don't like them that much. It was the year after when they started getting good!

[WildRanger]

1. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
2. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
3. Black Sabbath - Sabotage
4. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
5. Queen - A Night at the Opera
6. Eno - Another Green World
7. Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
8. Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic
9. Frank Zappa - One Size Fits All
10. Van der Graaf Generator - Godbluff

[TAC]

1975 was a great year!


1. Alice Cooper-Welcome To My Nightmare
2. UFO-Force It
3. KISS-Alive 
4. Black Sabbath-Sabotage
5. Led Zeppelin-Physical Graffiti
6. Rainbow-Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
7. Thin Lizzy-Fighting
8. KISS-Dressed To Kill
9. Scorpions-In Trance
10. Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here
11. Rush-Fly By Night
12. Aerosmith-Toys In The Attic
13. Deep Purple-Come Taste The Band
14. Ted Nugent-s/t
15. Rush-Caress Of Steel

[Dedalus]

1975:

01. Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

1975 has 1 perfect album and then a lot of great albums. The last 6 on the list are fairly interchangeable depending on my mood.

1. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
2. Rush - Fly By Night
3. Queen - A Night at the Opera
4. Rush - Caress of Steel
5. Van der Graaf Generator - Godbluff
6. Camel - The Snow Goose
7. Hawkwind - Warrior On the Edge of Time
8. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
9. Black Sabbath - Sabatage
10. Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
11. Styx - Equinox
12. Bad Company - Straight Shooter
13. Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn
14. Steely Dan - Katy Lied
15. Journey - Journey
16. Gentle Giant - Free Hand

[Kwyjibo]

the good ones from 1975 in alphabetical order:

Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic
Beck, Jeff - Blow By Blow
Eagles - One Of These Nights
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
Kansas - Song For America
Nazareth - Hair Of The Dog
Oldfield, Mike - Ommadawn
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Queen - A Night At The Opera
Steely Dan - Katy Lied

[ReaperKK]

1975 favorite to least:

1. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
2. Rush - Caress Of Steel
3. Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert
4. Earth, Wind, & Fire - That's The Way Of The World
5. Rush - Fly By Night

[hefdaddy42]

In no particular order:

Steely Dan - Katy Lied
Queen - A Night at the Opera
Eagles - One of These Nights
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow
Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

[SoundscapeMN]

1976

from allmediareviews

1976, the year I was born. Also the year of the Bi-Centennial of course (per 1776).

Odd year in some ways per there was a ton of Jazz-Rock being made. I guess it was at the peak, or just after the peak of Jazz-Fusion and progressive rock. Punk, Post-Punk and New Wave were a couple of years away from taking over overall.

But the other thing is, and it may just be a product of the time and obscurity to a point, 18 albums below I cannot find a release date or month for. Kind of sucks, but I don't have time to do the research.

But as far specifics, Marscape is a favorite of mine, a masterpiece of Jazz-Rock and concept albums. And it really is a Brand X album, before they came up with their name.

Romantic Warrior also a big favorite among jazz-rock for me and many others. Rush's 2112 was a breakthrough, Jon Anderson's debut album is by many his best work.

Many great live records from Renaissance, to Rush and Led Zeppelin (which was for the film of course).. And the Billy Cobham / George Duke album is a favorite of mine as well, as the cover art I adore. Its charm, comedy, and Scifi element among other things. I even have George Duke's signature on my vinyl copy.

1. Jack Lancaster and Robin Lumley - Marscape
2. Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior
3. Rush - 2112
4. Jon Anderson - Olias of Sunhillow
5. Kansas - Leftoverture
6. Al Di  Meola - Land of the Midnight Sun
7. Renaissance - Live at Carnegie Hall
8. The Billy Cobham / George Duke Band - Live on tour in Europe
9. Genesis - A Trick of the Tail
10. Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
11. Styx - Crystal Ball
12. Pat Metheny - Bright Size Life
13. Rush - All the World's a Stage
14. Boston - Boston
15. Queen - A Day at the Races
16. Rainbow - Rising
17. Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the Same
18. Led Zeppelin - Presence
19. Genesis - Wind and Wuthering
20. The Alan Parsons Project - Tales of Mystery and Imagination - Edgar Allan Poe
21. Shakti with John McLaughlin - Shakti with John McLaughlin
22. Stanley Clarke - School Days
23. Starcastle - Starcastle
24. Camel - Moonmadness
25. Jean-Luc Ponty - Aurora
26. Ken - By Request Only

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

1976 was a huge year for music!

1. Rush - All the World's A Stage
2. Rainbow - Rising
3. Rush - 2112
4. Boston - Boston
5. Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
6. Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny
7. Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior
8. David Bowie - Station to Station
9. Genesis - Wind & Wuthering
10. Camel - Moonmadness
11. Genesis - A Trick of the Tail
12. Heart - Dreamboat Annie
13. Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
14. Scorpions - In Trance
15. Steely Dan - The Royal Scam
16. Blue Öyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
17. Thin Lizzy - Johnny the Fox
18. Queen - A Day at the Races
19. Eagles - Hotel California
20. Journey - Look into the Future
21. Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle
22. Kansas - Leftoverture
23. 10cc - How Dare You!
24. AC/DC - High Voltage
25. Led Zeppelin - Presence

[TAC]

A great year!


1. UFO-No Heavy Petting
2. Alice Cooper-Goes To hell
3. Rush-2112
4. Thin Lizzy-Jailbreak
5. Aerosmith-Rocks
6. Rainbow-Rising
7. Boston-s/t
8. Thin Lizzy-Johnny The Fox
9. KISS-Destroyer
10. KISS-Rock And Roll Over
11. Sweet-Give Us A Wink
12. Led Zeppelin-Presence
13. Judas Priest-Sad Wings Of Destiny
14. AC/DC-High Voltage
15. Scorpions-Virgin Killer
16. Slade-Nobody's Fools

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

A great year!


1. UFO-No Heavy Petting
2. Alice Cooper-Goes To hell
3. Rush-2112
4. Thin Lizzy-Jailbreak
5. Aerosmith-Rocks
6. Rainbow-Rising
7. Boston-s/t
8. Thin Lizzy-Johnny The Fox
9. KISS-Destroyer
10. KISS-Rock And Roll Over
11. Sweet-Give Us A Wink
12. Led Zeppelin-Presence
13. Judas Priest-Sad Wings Of Destiny
14. AC/DC-High Voltage
15. Scorpions-Virgin Killer
16. Slade-Nobody's Fools

You forgot Scorpions - In Trance 

[TAC]

No, I got it!

 

1975 was a great year!


1. Alice Cooper-Welcome To My Nightmare
2. UFO-Force It
3. KISS-Alive 
4. Black Sabbath-Sabotage
5. Led Zeppelin-Physical Graffiti
6. Rainbow-Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
7. Thin Lizzy-Fighting
8. KISS-Dressed To Kill
9. Scorpions-In Trance
10. Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here
11. Rush-Fly By Night
12. Aerosmith-Toys In The Attic
13. Deep Purple-Come Taste The Band
14. Ted Nugent-s/t
15. Rush-Caress Of Steel

 

[KevShmev]

01 Boston - Boston
02 Kansas - Leftoverture
03 Camel - Moonmadness
04 Rush - 2112
05 Jeff Beck - Wired
06 Genesis - A Trick of the Tail
07 Heart - Dreamboat Annie
08 Styx - Crystal Ball
09 Blue Oyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
10 Genesis - Wind and Wuthering
11 Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny
12 Billy Joel - Turnstiles
13 Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
14 Queen - A Day at the Races
15 Frank Zappa - Zoot Allures
16 Steely Dan - The Royal Scam
17 ABBA - Arrival
18 David Bowie - Station to Station
19 Aerosmith - Rocks
20 Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior