Retro Albums of the Year 2010's: 2020

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

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

 

Why did I think In Trance was released in 1976?

[HOF]

1976. I always hate having to choose between Trick of the Tail and Wind & Wuthering. They're really 1a and 1b.

1. Genesis - A Trick of the Tail
2. Genesis - Wind & Wuthering
3. Camel - Moonmadness
4. Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
5. Journey - Look into the Future
6. Kansas - Leftoverture
7. Rush - 2112

[Dedalus]

1976:

01. Virgin Killer (Scorpions)

[ReaperKK]

1976 with ranking out of 5

1. Rush - 2112 (5 out of 5)
2. Boston - Boston (4 out of 5)
3. Kiss - Destroyer (3 out of 5)
4. Genesis - A Trick Of The Tail (2 out of 5)

[WildRanger]

1976 is a great year.

Here I go:
1. Rainbow - Rising
2. Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny
3. Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
4. Boston - Boston
5. Steely Dan - The Royal Scam
6. Rush - 2112
7. David Bowie - Station to Station
8. Aerosmith - Rocks
9. Genesis - A Trick of the Tail
10. Kansas - Leftoverture

[MirrorMask]

Four aces for 1976:

1 - JUDAS PRIEST - Sad Wings of Destiny

Possibly the first heavy metal album. Labels aside, this is a masterpiece and my third favorite Priest album, behind Painkiller and Defenders of the Faith. Album of mastodontic importance for heavy metal. Timeless classic.

2 - RAINBOW - Rising

The other big masterpiece of the year. Forever carved in stone in the history of rock n' roll. You have not lived if you haven't heard Stargazer.

3 - ALICE COOPER Goes to Hell

4 - QUEEN - A Day at the Races

[WildRanger]

1 - JUDAS PRIEST - Sad Wings of Destiny

Possibly the first heavy metal album.

First heavy metal album when Paranoid was released 6 years earlier?

[ariich]

While 1976 didn't have anything as special as Wish You Were Here, it had a lot of great albums and overall is easily my favourite year so far.

1. Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
2. Queen - A Day at the Races
3. Rainbow - Rising
4. Rush - 2112
5. Lucifer's Friend - Mind Exploding
6. Kansas - Leftoverture
7. Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior
8. Eagles - Hotel California
9. The Alan Parsons Project - Tales of Mystery and Imagination
10. Tom Waits - Small Change
11. Genesis - Wind & Wuthering
12. Billy Joel - Turnstiles
13. Parliament - The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein
14. Wishbone Ash - New England
15. Tower of Power - Ain't Nothin' Stoppin' Us Now

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

1 - JUDAS PRIEST - Sad Wings of Destiny

Possibly the first heavy metal album.

First heavy metal album when Paranoid was released 6 years earlier?

Hold on to your hats boys, because I'm going to agree with Wildranger.....

While it's all subjective and widely debated, I too believe Paranoid to be the very first metal album.

[SoundscapeMN]

1977

from allmediareviews

1977, a year kind of transition in some ways for the majority of my taste. Many of the bands/artists who released some of their best albums earlier in the decade, put out either one of their last good albums (at least 3, maybe 3.5 to bordering on 4-stars). Or in some cases, like The Grateful Dead or Pink Floyd, released my favorite and what I consider their best.

Animals, has almost the entire time I've been a Pink Floyd fan (since around 1991 or 1992), I have always seen as my favorite. And it was released January 23rd, so if the older version of me had heard it in 1977, it likely would been on top all year and not been topped. Although I love A Farewell to Kings and up to that point, I probably would consider that Rush's best album (of course not for long!, lol), but I doubt then and of course can rate it at the level of Animals.

Beyond Animals though, 1977 was the year Punk was becoming big, but despite that., there was plenty of prog and jazz-rock. Even just Classic Rock, Power Pop and Psych stuff.

Styx, Ai Di Meols, Jethro Tull, Fleetwood Mac, Bowie, Queen, Steely Dan, Billy Joel, Journey's early music, etc. Deep Year with a couple of gems at the top.

1. Pink Floyd - Animals
2. Rush - A Farewell to Kings
3. Al Di Meola - Elegant Gypsy
4. The Grateful Dead - Terrapin Station
5. Renaissance - Novella
6. Annie Haslam - Annie in Wonderland
7. Steely Dan - Aja
8. Styx - The Grand Illusion
9. Yes - Going for the One
10. Jethro Tull - Songs from the Wood
11. Genesis - Seconds Out
12. Kansas - Point of No Return
13. Weather Report - Heavy Weather
14. Anthony Phillips - The Geese and the Ghost
15. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
16. David Bowie - Low
17. Happy the Man - Happy the Man
18. Queen - News of the World
19. Billy Joel - The Stranger
20. David Bowie - Heroes
21. Journey - Next
22. Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (Car)
23. Heart - Little Queen
24. Rick Wakeman - White Rock
25. Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group - Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live
26. The Muppets - The Muppet Show
27. Alan Parsons Project - I Robot
28. Bob Marley and the Wailers - Exodus
29. Elvis Costello - My Aim is True
30. The Beach Boys - Love You
31. Emerson Lake and Palmer - Works Volume 2
32. Genesis - Spot the Pigeon [EP]
33. Starcastle - Citadel

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

1977 was a great year for music. 2 perfect albums and 3 pretty close to perfect albums, along with a bunch more really good albums.

1. Rush - A Farewell to Kings
2. Pink Floyd - Animals
3. Billy Joel - The Stranger
4. Univers Zero - 1313
5. Steely Dan - Aja
6. Styx - The Grand Illusion
7. Yes - Going for the One
8. Judas Priest - Sin After Sin
9. Scorpions - Taken By Force
10. Eloy - Ocean
11. Supertramp - Even In the Quietest Moments
12. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
13. David Bowie - "Heroes"
14. Talking Heads - 77
15. Heart - Little Queen
16. Peter Gabriel - (Car)
17. David Bowie - Low
18. Triumph - Rock n Roll Machine
19. Kansas - Point of Know Return
20. Journey - Next
21. Thin Lizzy - Bad Reputation
22. Steve Miller Band - Book of Dreams
23. Hawkwind - Quark Strangeness and Charm
24. Queen - News of the World

[Dedalus]

1977:

01. Animals (Pink Floyd)

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Can't believe I forgot Taken by Force. I edited my list. 

[HOF]

1977 is kind of the year of uneven albums for me actually.

1. Camel - Rain Dances
2. Genesis - Seconds Out (are we doing live albums?)
3. Rush - A Farewell to Kings
4. Peter Gabriel - Car
5. Journey - Next
6. Kansas - Point of No Return
7. Pink Floyd - Animals

[Dedalus]

1977 is kind of the year of uneven albums for me actually.

1. Camel - Rain Dances
2. Genesis - Seconds Out (are we doing live albums?)
3. Rush - A Farewell to Kings
4. Peter Gabriel - Car
5. Journey - Next
6. Kansas - Point of No Return
7. Pink Floyd - Animals

I don't.

-------
I made an extensive list and now I realize that I forgot Heavy Weather! 

I hate making lists....   

[WildRanger]

My top 10 albums from 1977:

1. David Bowie - Low/Heroes
2. Pink Floyd - Animals
3. Rush - A Farewell to Kings
4. Television - Marquee Moon
5. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols
6. Steely Dan - Aja
7. Thin Lizzy - Bad Reputation
8. Judas Priest - Sin After Sin
9. Kansas - Point of No Return
10. The Clash - The Clash

[ReaperKK]

Looking at your lists there is so much out there that I haven't listened to:

1977:

1. Rush - A Farewell To Kids - 3.5 out of 5
2. Pink Floyd - Animals - 3 out of 5

[KevShmev]

01 Styx - The Grand Illusion
02 Pink Floyd - Animals
03 Rush - A Farewell to Kings
04 Billy Joel - The Stranger
05 Kansas - Point of Know Return
06 Blue Oyster Cult - Spectres
07 Judas Priest - Sin After Sin
08 Steely Dan - Aja
09 Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
10 David Bowie - Low
11 Supertramp - Even in the Quietest Moments
12 Meat Loaf - Bat out of Hell

[MirrorMask]

Not so many albums for me.... so my list will be short:

1. MEAT LOAF - Bat Out of Hell

Rip Jim Steinman!

2. JUDAS PRIEST - Sin After Sin

Honorable mentions for Alice Cooper's Lace and Whiskey and Queen's News of the World.

[KevShmev]

As much as I love Queen, I couldn't put News of the World on my list.  I only ever listen to three or four songs from it.

Same goes for Going for the One.  Yes is a top 10 all-time band for me, but Turn of the Century is the only song from that album I ever listen to anymore.

[ariich]

A solid year but not as great as '76.

1. Pink Floyd - Animals   
2. Rush - A Farewell to Kings
3. Queen - News of the World   
4. Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell
5. The Alan Parsons Project - I Robot
6. Tom Waits - Foreign Affairs
7. Kansas - Point of Know Return   
8. Iggy Pop - Lust for Life   
9. UFO - Lights Out
10. Gino Vannelli - A Pauper in Paradise

Other albums I like from that year:
Parliament - Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome
Return to Forever - Musicmagic   
Steely Dan - Aja
Yes - Going for the One

[TAC]

Solid year!

1. Thin Lizzy-Bad Reputation
2. AC/DC-Let There Be Rock
3. UFO-Lights Out
4. Rainbow-On Stage
5. Alice Cooper-Lace And Whiskey
6. Blondie-Plastic Letters
7. KISS-Love Gun
8. KISS-Alive II
9. Riot-Rock City
10. Scorpions-Taken By Force
11. Rush-A Farewell To Kings
12. Judas Priest-Sin After Sin
13. Pink Floyd-Animals
14. Styx-The Grand Illusion
15. Aerosmith-Draw The Line
16. Motorhead-s/t

[Stadler]

A fantastic year.   My favorite album of all time is from 1977: Going For The One.    And another album in the top five - Wind And Withering - was released late in December of '76, but I have it in my head that it's a "1977" album.  "A Farewell To Kings" is in that discussion as well.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Solid year!

1. Thin Lizzy-Bad Reputation
2. AC/DC-Let There Be Rock
3. UFO-Lights Out
4. Rainbow-On Stage
5. Alice Cooper-Lace And Whiskey
6. Blondie-Plastic Letters
7. KISS-Love Gun
8. KISS-Alive II
9. Riot-Rock City
10. Scorpions-Taken By Force
11. Judas Priest-Sin After Sin
12. Pink Floyd-Animals
13. Styx-The Grand Illusion
14. Aerosmith-Draw The Line
15. Motorhead-s/t

What, no Rush?

[TAC]

What, no Rush?

I fixed my original post.

[frogprog]

Can't believe no one has Foreigner on their list. That album brings back instant memories of the summer of my tenth year.no real worries in life but starting to see the larger world around me. Foreigner and Grand Illusion were that hot summer's soundtrack.

[KevShmev]

Can't believe no one has Foreigner on their list. That album brings back instant memories of the summer of my tenth year.no real worries in life but starting to see the larger world around me. Foreigner and Grand Illusion were that hot summer's soundtrack.

Foreigner has become, for me, one of those classic rocks bands that I can only take in small doses now. Gimme their best four or five songs and I am good.  Can't do full album listens anymore. And even that first album back in the day came off to me as Side 1 good, Side 2 not so much.

[Lowdz]

Rush - A Farewell To Kings

KISS - Alive II

Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell

Thin Lizzy - Bad Reputation

The Alice Cooper Show

UFO - Lights Out

Kiss - Love Gun

Rainbow - On Stage

Judas Priest - Sin After Sin

Dixie Dregs - Free Fall

Steely Dan - Aja

Kansas - Point of Know Return

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Street Survivors

Scorpions - Taken By Force

Hawkwind - Quark Strangeness and Charm (we used to listen to this whilst having seances in Lancaster castle back when I was a youngster. Not played it in years)

And one I’d never heard until recently but which needs adding to the list - Pink Floyd - Animals

[hefdaddy42]

No particular order

1976

Joni Mitchell - Hejira
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
Led Zeppelin - Presence
Eagles - Hotel California
Rush - 2112
Steely Dan - The Royal Scam
Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive!
Queen - A Day at the Races
Kansas - Leftoverture
Bob Seger - Night Moves
Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius
Boston - Boston
KISS - Destroyer
Jackson Browne - The Pretender
Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior
Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle
Jeff Beck - Wired
David Bowie - Station to Station
James Brown - Get Up Offa That Thing
KISS - Rock And Roll Over
Styx - Crystal Ball
Weather Report - Black Market


1977

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Street Survivors
Steely Dan - Aja
Weather Report - Heavy Weather
Pink Floyd - Animals
Billy Joel - The Stranger
Rush - A Farewell to Kings
Jimmy Buffett - Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
Charles Mingus - Three or Four Shades of Blues
Jackson Browne - Running on Empty
Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell
Yes - Going For The One
Jean-Luc Ponty - Enigmatic Ocean
Queen - News of the World
Kansas - Point of Know Return
Styx - The Grand Illusion
Al Di Meola - Elegant Gypsy


Two awesome years, for sure.

[Stadler]

Billy Joel - The Stranger

Ooooooh, I forgot that, I think.   That's a STELLAR record, and one I still listen to frequently. 

[hefdaddy42]

Billy Joel - The Stranger

Ooooooh, I forgot that, I think.   That's a STELLAR record, and one I still listen to frequently.

[Dream Team]

1 - JUDAS PRIEST - Sad Wings of Destiny

Possibly the first heavy metal album.

First heavy metal album when Paranoid was released 6 years earlier?

Hold on to your hats boys, because I'm going to agree with Wildranger.....

While it's all subjective and widely debated, I too believe Paranoid to be the very first metal album.

Eh, either Sad Wings or Stained Class is considered the first MODERN metal album, with all traces of the blues finally removed (thankfully).

[SoundscapeMN]

1978

from allmediareviews

1978, a year that saw many big names release albums, including many solo albums, but given it was in the late 70's, a lot of those artists either were just starting out, or following up a few years before, some of their best work.

Rush and Styx oddly, put out 2 of the best albums that year. Hemispheres, becoming my favorite Rush record among a catalog of 19 proper studio albums. Why that is? to me, it's their peak into doing progressive rock, and when they did it well, there's not many who did it better.

It came out in around Halloween, so it might have hit me like a ton of bricks after the rest of the year.

1978 was the age of Disco and Punk and even New Wave of British Heavy Metal I suppose was coming, so progressive rock and classic rock was fading a bit. A lot of good Jazz-Fusion as well, although not classics really, but still some decent stuff.

1. Rush - Hemispheres
2. Styx - Pieces of Eight
3. Alec R. Costandinos and The Syncophonic Orchestra - Romeo and Juliet
4. Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses
5. Kansas - Two for the Show
6. Renaissance - A Song for All Seasons
7. U.K. - U.K.
8. Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town
9. Bruford - Feels Good to Me
10. Al Di Meola - Casino
11. Van Halen - Van Halen
12. The Who - Who Are You
13. Yes - Tormato
14. Happy the Man - Crafty Hands
15. The Police - Outlandos d'Amour
16. Genesis - ...And Then There Were Three...
17. Pat Metheny Group - Pat Metheny Group
18. Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (Scratch)
19. Chic - C'est Chic
20. Queen - Jazz
21. Boston - Don't Look Back
22. Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food
23. Elvis Costello - This Year's Model
24. Alan Parsons Project - Pyramid
25. Steve Hackett - Please Don't Touch
26. Journey - Infinity
27. Dire Straits - Dire Straits
28. XTC - White Music
29. The Rutles - The Rutles

[ReaperKK]

I don't think I'm going to have a lot of albums between now until the late 80's. Anyway, here is what I got for 1978.

1. Dire Straits - Dire Straits - 4 out of 5
2. Pat Metheny Group - Pat Metheny Group - 3.5 out of 5
3. David Gilmour - David Gilmour - 2.5 out of 5
4. Rush - Hemispheres - 2.5 out of 5

[Stadler]

'78 was a good year.

Hemispheres - Rush
Long Live Rock and Roll - Rainbow
Heaven Tonight - Cheap Trick
The Cars - The Cars
Stained Class - Priest
Macho Man - The Village People
City To City - Gerry Rafferty (I don't care for the album, much, but it has "Baker Street" on it.)
Van Halen - Van Halen
U.K. - U.K.
Heart - Magazine
David Gilmour - David Gilmour (I LOVE this album)
Obsession - UFO
Parallel Lines - Blondie
Outlandos d'Amour - The Police
Don't Look Back - Boston
Love Beach - ELP
Three of the four Kiss solo albums