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The Best Years of Their Lives

Since Henrik has posted the formula he uses to calculate artist rankings, I’m now able to do something I had been idly speculating about:

What are the most acclaimed years by individual artists?

People talk about great years (or seasons) in sports all the time, and I thought it would be fun to apply Henrik’s formula to figure out the same thing for the artists on this site. Where do you rank the Beatles in 1967? The Pistols in 1977? U2 in 1987? And so on. And since the formula includes songs as well as albums, an artist gets more credit if he/she/they releases an acclaimed album (or two) with a lot of acclaimed songs on it. That’s what I was looking for. So, over the last few weeks, I’ve compiled the 100 most acclaimed artist-years, according to this site.

Maybe it’ll be clearer if I just present the start of the list. Numbers after albums and songs are their current rankings:

***

100. BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS, 1974
ALBUM: Natty Dread (119).
SONG: No Woman No Cry (74).

99. OUTKAST, 2000
ALBUM: Stankonia (189).
SONGS: B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) (319), Ms. Jackson (193).

98. N.W.A., 1988
ALBUM: Straight Outta Compton (130).
SONGS: Express Yourself (1469), Straight Outta Compton (701), F*** Tha Police (327), Gangsta Gangsta (2878).

97. THE BAND, 1968
ALBUM: Music from Big Pink (73).
SONGS: Tears of Rage (2606), The Weight (192), I Shall Be Released (2403).

96. THE BEATLES, 1964
ALBUMS: A Hard Day’s Night (180), Beatles for Sale (932).
SONGS: Can’t Buy Me Love (1284), A Hard Day’s Night (423), And I Love Her (2987), I Feel Fine (2390), Eight Days a Week (1994), I Should Have Known Better (BU), Things We Said Today (BU).

***

You get the idea.

Every day or two until I finish, I’ll post another chunk of the greatest years countdown. This isn’t a vote or a poll or a competition of any kind—just something I put together for my own amusement, which I thought was interesting enough to share on the forum.

Comments are of course welcome. I think there are some interesting lessons to be learned from this list, actually, but I’ll let you guys discover them as we go along.

Oh, and no, Anthony, this isn’t the Philadelphia Experiment. This is a relatively minor diversion to distract y’all while I work on Philly.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

That's a brilliant idea schleuse, I love it!

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Damn! Thought this was the introduction to the new game. I was all excited and shit!

schleuse, you sly little devil you....

(Very cool endeavour, btw).

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

schleuse - AM Forum's resident mad scientist.


I love it.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

I always thought Bob Dylan in '65 was the untouchable performance in one year...

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

There's still 95 to come Midaso, I'm sure Bob Dylan will have a few entries.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Gosh, I really hope to see this entry:

??. OASIS, 1995
ALBUM: (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (78).
SONGS: Some Might Say (1054), Roll With It (2850), Wonderwall (107), Don’t Look Back In Anger (1285), Champagne Supernova (1709).

Notice the two question marks? Yes, I’m not naive.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Awesome idea, Schleuse! I'll bet Prince manages 3 years!

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Thanks, everyone.

I will remain resolutely stone-faced about what's coming up; I'll just offer the boilerplate platitude that you will see many familiar faces, as well as a few surprises...at least, they were surprises to me.

N.W.A. at #98, for instance. (They're helped by the fact that all of their acclaimed music came out in one year.)

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Indeed a brilliant idea. Thanks schleuse!

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

95. ARETHA FRANKLIN, 1968
ALBUMS: Lady Soul (111), Aretha Now (2561).
SONGS: Think (609), I Say a Little Prayer (205), The House That Jack Built (2980), (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone (BU), Ain’t No Way (BU).

94. IGGY POP, 1977
ALBUMS: The Idiot (619), Lust for Life (209).
SONGS: The Passenger (1211), Lust for Life (347).

93. ELVIS COSTELLO, 1977
ALBUM: My Aim Is True (89).
SONGS: Alison (344), Watching the Detectives (522), Less Than Zero (BU).

92. FRANZ FERDINAND, 2004
ALBUM: Franz Ferdinand (112).
SONGS: Take Me Out (70), Matinee (2253), Michael (BU).

91. CHUCK BERRY, 1958
ALBUMS: After School Session (2077), One Dozen Berrys (1327).
SONGS: Sweet Little Sixteen (854), Johnny B. Goode (6), Carol (BU).

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Just a question, do songs/albums bubbling under get the same amount of points as songs/albums not on AM at all?

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Actually, artists get no credit for songs & albums bubbling under. I list 'em here just to be complete.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Schleuse, what a splendid idea!
And Midaso, might not Dylan in 1975 make the top 100?

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

I'm fairly certain it will. Iggy Pop, for example, has 2 albums ranked lower and 2 songs ranked lower. (+ Dylan has 3 songs.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Fine :-)
Btw, Schleuse, are you counting live albums for the year in which they were issued or recorded? (Won't matter for Dylan "Live 1975" (2002) cause it's not even bubbling under, but might make a difference for other records).

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Year they were issued...I'm relying on the dates listed here at AM. Putting this thing together was complicated enough without tinkering with it, and really, the point is to celebrate acclaimed recordings, not live performance as such.

I'll admit that this issue gets hairy with jazz albums, which I've noticed allmusic.com normally lists by recording date rather than release date, but untangling that mess is not my department.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Franz Ferdinand – an album that, initially, I purposely ignored, then subsequently had a two-month love affair with, and then dropped faster than a sack of wet pennies. At this point, haven’t played it for over three years.

schleuse – I’m wondering, what was your starting point for this project? Did you begin with the Beatles and then proceed to go down the list?

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

I have tried to use year of issue for jazz albums as well. Please report any errors in the "Report errors here" thread.

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Oh, I quite agree that carrying this out at all must mean you've had more than enough on your hands. And studio albums too are not necessarily issued the same year they're recorded. It would only be significant for those few albums put out WAY after they were caught on tape. Never mind. It'll be fun anyway.

All decades except the 90's represented this far, btw. (by "all" I mean 50'es onwards). Go, Johnny, go.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

My starting point for this project (like the starting point for bracketology, come to think) comes from sports. Some months ago I was idling through the internet and came upon a discussion of the greatest season ever by a baseball pitcher (Greg Maddux in 1994, if anyone cares for my opinion).

Once Henrik posted the artist formula, I started playing with it, and thinking about what uses I could put it to. That was the mad scientist moment...

I wasn't sure I had the patience to do it, but I figured out a shortcut which made it much less work than it had to be. However, explaining it now might reveal too much. Remind me at the end.

By the way, I betcha Franz Ferdinand will drop off this list in ten years. They're good, but way overrated.

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Unless Franz make the big comeback that you know ain't gonna happen.

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Iggy Pop in 1977 should have been much higher...

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

You cannot doubt these rankings without doubting the entire website? Do you? Huh? HUH?!

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I always thought quantity over quality - I'd put releasing two 7/10 albums in one year ahead of releasing one 10/10 album. That's the one thing I hate about those rankings - it allows one-album-wonders to get ahead in the artist rankings of artists who released a string of decent albums...

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

A bit of great music < a lot of OK crap.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Wait, not really. Ah!

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

90. THE VERVE, 1997
ALBUM: Urban Hymns (215).
SONGS: Bittersweet Symphony (49), The Drugs Don’t Work (860).

89. SIMON AND GARFUNKEL, 1970
ALBUM: Bridge Over Troubled Water (98).
SONG: Bridge Over Troubled Water (69).

88. FLEETWOOD MAC, 1977
ALBUM: Rumours (53).
SONGS: Go Your Own Way (235), Dreams (2472), The Chain (BU).

87. THE BYRDS, 1968
ALBUMS: The Notorious Byrd Brothers (227), Sweetheart of the Rodeo (165).
SONGS: You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere (2786), Hickory Wind (1236), Triad (BU).

86. THE BAND, 1969
ALBUM: The Band (38).
SONGS: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (717), Up on Cripple Creek (1375), Across the Great Divide (BU), King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (BU), Rag Mama Rag (BU).

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Seriously Midaso? That's the total opposite of what I think. 1 10/10 album is better than even a 20 7/10 albums, no doubt.

The Band is the first one with two entries, kinda unexpected.. although it'll be their last too.
I like this list schleuse.

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Ahhh, Fleetwood Mac - schleuse's personal favorite.

I'm surprised Urban Hymns doesn't have more songs charting on AM (eg. "Sonnet", "Lucky Man" - both were singles, and the great "Rolling People").

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Yeah, the 90-86 batch has virtually nothing I can get very excited about...maybe the Band. On the other hand, I love almost everything in the 95-91 group.

By the way, unless there's a groundswell of demand, I won't post 85-81 until Monday; it seems to me that many people don't really check the forum over the weekend.

Oh, and I don't think I mentioned--I stupidly deleted the years that were just "bubbling under" the top 100...but I do remember that #101 was the 1988 Pixies (the year of Surfer Rosa).

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Hmmm, I know "Bridge" was far and away S&G's bestselling album, but I didn't realize it's also their most acclaimed one. In the forum poll I seem to remember "Parsley, Sage ... " doing way better?

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Nah, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was #119. "Parsley, Sage" wasn't in the top 200.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

85. ELVIS PRESLEY, 1969
ALBUM: From Elvis in Memphis (185).
SONGS: In the Ghetto (639), Suspicious Minds (66).

84. PINK FLOYD, 1967
ALBUM: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (100).
SONGS: Arnold Layne (702), See Emily Play (257), Interstellar Overdrive (1642), Astronomy Domine (BU).

83. BECK, 1996
ALBUM: Odelay (55)
SONGS: Where It’s At (407), Devil’s Haircut (910), The New Pollution (BU).

82. THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN, 1985
ALBUM: Psychocandy (82).
SONGS: Never Understand (540), You Trip Me Up (1224), Just Like Honey (599).

81. MILES DAVIS, 1959
ALBUMS: Workin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet (1773), Kind of Blue (37).
SONG: So What (664).

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

How great to see Barrett era Pink Floyd come up. I guess quite surprising too that Elvis' swansong rates so highly as well.

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This is fun, schleuse!

Curious if R.E.M. will show up. '91 or '92 should have a fair chance for the remaining 80. Too bad, Radio Free Europe is listed 81, not 83 ...

Logical nominees for #1 might be the Beatles or Dylan, but don't forget Jackson's outstanding year 1982!

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Sorry about that Simon & Garfunkel mix-up, I was thinking the 2005 poll, I guess.

This IS fun, and wow all these inclusions are fine ones. I'll bring out my copy of Saucerful of Secrets.

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Good to see Piper get love somewhere on this forum!

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Although, it wouldn't have made it if it weren't for Arnold Layne and See Emily Play which aren't on Piper... oh well, I'll take it.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Andre, your comment got me to thinking...if the Hib-Tone version of "Radio Free Europe" hadn't been released, and the song's first appearance had been on Murmur, would "R.E.M., 1983" have made the list?

Yep. I did the math, and they would have squeaked in at #98.

As for the other years you mentioned...no, I must shut up now! (Puts stone face back on.)

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

No problem making us wait with sweat in our hands, schleuse. Besides '91 and '92, there seems to be another R.E.M. year going for the "Document"s. Simply the one I love, and I feel fine!

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

80. OUTKAST, 2003
ALBUM: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (116).
SONGS: Hey Ya! (42), The Way You Move (BU).

79. JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, 1967
ALBUMS: Surrealistic Pillow (163), After Bathing at Baxter’s (1333).
SONGS: Somebody to Love (462), White Rabbit (215).

78. THE STROKES, 2001
ALBUM: Is This It (60).
SONGS: The Modern Age (1242), Hard to Explain (955), Is This It (2977), Last Nite (526), Someday (2900).

77. PRINCE, 1982
ALBUM: 1999 (183).
SONGS: 1999 (305), Little Red Corvette (88).

76. SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE, 1969
ALBUM: Stand! (174).
SONGS: Hot Fun in the Summertime (760), Everybody Is a Star (1191), Stand! (1712), I Want to Take You Higher (1019), Thank You (Falettime Be Mice Elf Again) (290).

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Outkast and Strokes among the 100 best artist-years? Wow, just goes to show that it's worthwhile to do what Schleuse is doing and get that different perspective on the statistics. Obviously if they were sufficiently succesful in that year, then that clinches it. Probably my fault, but I didn't expect it.

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For me, the stunner in this batch is Jefferson Airplane (but I'm glad--I like Surrealistic Pillow). One of the lessons I learned putting this thing together is that good years by the usual suspects are mixed in with some artists--Airplane, N.W.A., the Mary Chain, and maybe the Strokes, just to give examples from 100-76--who debuted impressively but then faded fast.

(Actually, N.W.A. might not be a great example, since their former members basically were West Coast rap for a decade after '88.)

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

#78 = winter '01 for me. The biting cold of December, the hum of the trolley bus, the smell of exhaust and stale urine. Those were the days.

What a great, great album.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Not many rivaled Sly and the Family Stone from 68-69.

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And Prince gets his due for 1982! I'm thrilled to see it rightly among the top 100. It is, without question, the greatest artist year for me. Not only did he unleash what I would call the greatest album ever in 1999, including several songs in my top 100, he also wrote and produced the material for side projects Vanity 6 and The Time's What Time Is It? and extensively toured with both on the famed "Triple Threat" tour in 1982 and much of 1983. To top it all, he also recorded enough top notch outtakes (including "Moonbeam Levels", to which my username is an homage) to release another stunning double album. Prince circa 1982 is the pinnacle of artistic genius to me.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

"Moonbeam Levels," huh? I'd always wondered; now I know.

1982 is my favorite Prince year too, by the way ("Delirious" is a fine third single, and, dumb as it is, I had "DMSR" stuck in my head for most of high school).

It would certainly be interesting to construct a more subjective list, taking into account other accomplishments in each year, besides releases--not just production and recordings that are put in the can until later, but tours, cultural significance, hell, even acting roles in some cases.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

"Delirious" is excellent, as is "DMSR", and everything else on that album!

And the less we talk about Prince's acting, the better! I'm afraid such an inclusion would worsen his ranking in these lists.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

75. JOHN COLTRANE, 1965
ALBUMS: A Love Supreme (68), Ascension (847), The John Coltrane Quartet Plays (BU), Transition (BU).
SONGS: Part 1: Acknowledgement (475), Part 3: Pursuance/Part 4: Psalm (2399).

74. SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE, 1971
ALBUM: There’s a Riot Goin’ On (51).
SONG: Family Affair (126).

73. PULP, 1995
ALBUM: Different Class (136).
SONGS: Common People (51), Mis-Shapes (2383), Sorted by E’s and Wiss (1139).

72. THE CLASH, 1977
ALBUM: The Clash (52).
SONGS: White Riot (555), Complete Control (395), I’m So Bored with the USA (BU).

71. U2, 1991
ALBUM: Achtung Baby (80).
SONGS: The Fly (1690), Mysterious Ways (2397), One (94), Even Better Than the Real Thing (2637), Zoo Station (BU).

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

It's true that not many rivaled Sly and the Family Stone from 1968-69... except of course, Sly and the Family Stone in 1971!

Their run of singles in the late 60's were great - enough to vault them into the top-25 artists of all time. But There's A Riot Going On was something new, something a little bit freakier, and something ver excellent in its own right. I hope all the people beginning to vote for them in Survivor but have never heard TARGO will give it a spin at some point.

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Good to see John Coltrane in there. I still feel somewhat guilty, voting him off in Survivor. Listened to him the other day, was kind of pretty good.

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I know what you mean, Andre. And by the way, your new thread makes me look really bad...maybe somebody can help me with inserting images into this countdown? I'm a language man...all I can do is type (and this will be a very hectic month at the Schleuse ranch--yes, I do have a life not connected with AM).

By the way, I think that this group, from 75 to 71, is just awesome all the way around.

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I think 1971 Sly and the Family Stone is exactly why they are close to being booted off the island. 68-69 is when they were at their most accessible and were making great pop music. Riot brought them into a different form- slower and more drug influenced and it's understandable that not everyone is going to enjoy it. I enjoy the 68-69 stuff much more. I wonder how many people have only heard Dance to the Music and Everyday People and then tried Riot only to give up listening to Sly.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Well, Riot might be the best example we have of a beloved pop icon in the process of disintegrating under the influence of addiction...although I still think it's a fine album.

Most artists who lose it due to hard drugs just disappear (for instance, I have a vague idea that this is why Elastica fell off the map after their debut). Very few of them are able to keep working, the way Sly Stone did.

What other addicts recorded great material while their minds were falling apart? I'm tempted to say John Lennon in about 1968-71, but his case isn't as obvious as Sly's.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Wow - what a great idea! I'm very impressed, I've often wondered about which acts were biggest in which years.
I wonder who'll be highest ranked for 1985 (my least favourite year in music) - possibly Madonna?

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Nope. You've already seen the highest-ranked act of 1985.

When this is all over, I'll post a list of each year's MVA (Most Valuable Artist).

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And by the way, your new thread makes me look really bad...

I'm sorry, not my intention at all. It's basically html code you need to know to make text bigger, italic or bold. Including images the same thing, with 'img src="url to the image"', surrounded by '<' and '>', etc.

In an attempt to comfort you: Contents matter more than layout! And content wise our threads are quite similar, but yours is more full of surprises, don't have a clue which artists to expect next.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

I think this goes back to a discussion I had with someone about Elliott Smith's FOBOTH Schleuse. Although, I do like There's a Riot Goin On a lot more than From a Basement, I'd rather hear artists making perfect records than hearing an artist fall apart. Riot Goin On is an exception because that was still great music...probably because he had such a great supporting cast.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

I didn't realize Sly was that far gone in 1971. He clearly was in more command of his faculties on that album than, say, at the Grammys last year.

No doubt, though, you hear the drugs in that album. I hear a lot more besides, though.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

I wonder who'll be highest ranked for 1985 (my least favourite year in music) - possibly Madonna?

Surely she couldn't be ahead of Jesus & Mary Chain?

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Surely she couldn't. And she isn't. The Mary Chain is the champion of 1985.

Madonna seems to be a hot topic on the forum today, so I'll reveal that her three most acclaimed years on this site are, in order:

1989
1984
1998

None of those years are anywhere near the top 100.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Madonna is critically under-acclaimed(?). I have a strong feeling that will change in the future.

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Madonna deserves MAJOR love for 1989, 1998 and 1983. Like a Virgin, meanwhile, is overrated.

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I'll agree with that.

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"Moonbeam Levels," huh? I'd always wondered; now I know.

You can hear a tantalizing 30-second clip (regrettably not in the best quality) here: http://musicluvlust.imeem.com/music/TjvCunB1/prince_moonbeam_levels/

Apparently if you sign up, you'd be able to listen to the whole song.

"Moonbeam Levels" was recorded in July of 1982 during the height of the 1999 sessions. Apparently, it was removed in favor of "Free" because it is another anthemic new wave blast, but I think "Moonbeam Levels" is a better song.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Actually, a better quality version of the ENTIRE song is available here!

http://www.mediafire.com/?3ojok1jx9jt

Tell me this isn't brilliant.

Lyrics:

Yesterday I tried 2 write a novel but I didn't know where 2 begin
So I laid down in the grass tryin' 2 feel the world turn
Boy loses girl in a rain storm, nuclear World War III
All that's left is pain and sorrow, as far as he's concerned

CHORUS:
He says please send all your moonbeam levels 2 me
Please send all your moonbeam levels 2 me
Please send all your moonbeam levels 2 me
I'm lookin' 4 a better place 2 die

Maybe he's lookin' 4 a different world
Maybe he's lookin' 4 a brand new high
Maybe he would like a nice condo overlookin' the rings of Saturn
Maybe he wants affection instead of a plastic life
Maybe he doesn't know what he wants at all

CHORUS

A newborn child knows nothing of destruction
Nothing of love and hate
What happens in between is a mystery
Because we don't give a damn about his fate

He said he'll never keep diaries 2 learn from his mistakes
Instead he'll just repeat all the good things that he's done
Fight 4 perfect love until it's perfect love he makes
When he's happy then his battle will be won (It's never 2 late)

Please send all your moonbeam levels 2 me
(Send your.. send 2 me)
Please send all your moonbeam levels 2 me
(Send your levels 2 me)
Please send all your moonbeam levels 2 me
(Sending me your.. send 2 me)
I'm lookin' 4 a better place 2 die (Better place 2 die)

Please send all your moonbeam levels 2 me (Oh yeah!)
Please send all your moonbeam levels 2 me {x2}
He don't, he don't, he don't really wanna die
He don't wanna, he don't wanna, he don't wanna die {x2}
He don't really wanna die

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

70. LOVE, 1967
ALBUMS: Da Capo (1649), Forever Changes (50).
SONG: Alone Again Or (219).

69. THE EAGLES, 1976
ALBUM: Hotel California (86).
SONGS: New Kid in Town (2604), Hotel California (47), Life in the Fast Lane (2944).

68. CAROLE KING, 1971
ALBUM: Tapestry (61).
SONGS: Home Again (2477), It’s Too Late (334), I Feel the Earth Move (1340), You’ve Got a Friend (1018).

67. TELEVISION, 1977
ALBUM: Marquee Moon (25)
SONGS: Marquee Moon (320), See No Evil (2835).

66. DEREK AND THE DOMINOS, 1970
ALBUM: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (69).
SONG: Layla (48).

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Nary a response today...I have a feeling that all the threads with "years" in the subject line are confusing. I know they're confusing me, and I started two of 'em!

Or maybe it's just that most of you find the five artists above not terribly conversation-worthy. Me, I don't really care about any of them except Television (though my opinion of Tom Verlaine depends on which day you ask me) and Carole King (though I just like her OK).

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somehow I feel a bit sorry for you, schleuse... would a "WOOHOO!! The Eagles!!!" on my behalf comfort you tonight?

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I was hoping everyone was speechless after hearing "Moonbeam Levels".

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I'm surprised Love is so low - there's loads of songs on those 2 albums as good if not better than 'Aloneagainor'

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

65. PINK FLOYD, 1973
ALBUM: The Dark Side of the Moon (20).
SONGS: Money (1147), Time (2481), Us and Them (1329).

64. RAMONES, 1976
ALBUM: Ramones (35).
SONG: Blitzkrieg Bop (150).

63. STEVIE WONDER, 1973
ALBUM: Innervisions (42)
SONGS: Living for the City (313), Higher Ground (747), Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing (BU).

62. R.E.M., 1992
ALBUM: Automatic for the People (44).
SONGS: Drive (936), Man on the Moon (628), Everybody Hurts (884).

61. PATTI SMITH, 1975
ALBUM: Horses (22).
SONGS: Gloria (353), Land: Horses/Land of a Thousand Dances/La Mer(de) (2640).

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

What the last batch lacked, this group more than makes up for - #65, 63 and 62 are three of my favorite albums (not to worry, schleuse, this thread still has visitors).

Innervisions and Automatic have both been a constant presence since the album poll (the read on the [play]meter says: 10+ listens to each one over the past couple months).

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I'm surprised to see Patti so high on the strength of one not very single-oriented album. I mean: Ahead of R.E.M's year of Automatic + a string of catchy songs! But Horses of course in itself has a very high all-time rank (and incidentally I love both albums).

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I like this group too, all 5 are great artists and albums.

Smith's position surprises me too, but would have expected R.E.M.'s '92 a bit higher. Who knows, the Atlanta guys might come once again on a higher spot?
Same with Pink Floyd and Stevie Wonder, expect them to show up again as well ...

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60. PUBLIC ENEMY, 1988
ALBUM: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (18).
SONGS: Don’t Believe the Hype (574), Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (2112).

59. PIXIES, 1989
ALBUM: Doolittle (64).
SONGS: Monkey Gone to Heaven (236), Debaser (306), Here Comes Your Man (BU).

58. TALKING HEADS, 1980
ALBUM: Remain in Light (40).
SONGS: Crosseyed and Painless (1755), Once in a Lifetime (129).

57. THE SMITHS, 1984
ALBUMS: The Smiths (179), Hatful of Hollow (596).
SONGS: What Difference Does It Make? (795), Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now (1863), How Soon Is Now? (181), Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (BU), William, It Was Really Nothing (BU).

56. ELVIS COSTELLO, 1978
ALBUM: This Year’s Model (75).
SONGS: (I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea (754), Pump It Up (999), Radio Radio (640), (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love & Understanding (1080), Lipstick Vogue (1169).

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

The Smiths in '84 were devasting - as they proved themselves to be the greatest British band since the Beatles...

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

You've not gone into hibernation, have you Schleuse? Reactions have been scarce lately, but we're all following the project with keen interest, I'm sure.

About the 60-56 batch: Wow, the 1980es are coming into their own. Lemme break out my Costello albums when I get home.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Regarding the angry young man Costello: Personally, I like 77's "My Aim Is True" a tick more than 78's "This Year's Model", but they are both my favorite album of the year. I didn't know this album had 5 songs in AM 3000. Pretty amazing!

Nice to see Remain In Light, my favorite album of all-time, in the list as well.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Looking at the other 3, Public Enemy, Pixies and the Smiths, I have to say: This batch 60-56 is damn good!

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

55. DAVID BOWIE, 1971
ALBUM: Hunky Dory (59).
SONGS: Changes (153), Life on Mars (389).

54. BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS, 1973
ALBUMS: Catch a Fire (158), Burnin’ (433).
SONGS: Get Up, Stand Up (285), I Shot the Sheriff (450), Concrete Jungle (BU).

53. OASIS, 1995
ALBUM: (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (78)
SONGS: Some Might Say (1054), Roll With It (2850), Wonderwall (107), Don’t Look Back in Anger (1285), Champagne Supernova (1709).

52. BLACK SABBATH, 1970
ALBUMS: Black Sabbath (440), Paranoid (146).
SONGS: Paranoid (183), Iron Man (676), Black Sabbath (BU).

51. JOHN LENNON, 1970
ALBUM: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (57).
SONGS: Instant Karma (We All Shine On) (271), Mother (1572), I Found Out (2804), Working Class Hero (1106), God (734).

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Paranoid and Plastic Ono Band - quite a year for listening to the radio, 1970 must have been.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

I just realized Anthony's off in the woods somewhere...somebody send him a carrier pigeon or something, because he'll be relieved about #53.

But, since he's not around, let me ask this question: if Bowie, Lennon, Yoko Ono, Bob Marley, Ozzy and the Gallaghers were all in one pub together, who would Noel and Liam hang out with?

I think Ozzy is the only one who would talk to them, while they agonized in their man-crushes on John (chatting up Yoko and Bowie across the room).

Bob Marley, of course, would go find a cooler party.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives



Great sense of fantasy and humor, schleuse!

Yes, Ozzy and the Gallaghers would likely get themselves drunk and/or stoned.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

Talking about acclaimed artists meeting in a pub: So far, the Stones and Bob Dylan have not yet been seen anywhere close to a bar, and the Beatles were only once there for a quick cup of tea (1964). I'm sure they will all show up more frequently later in the evening, when the party really steams up, i.e. in the top 50.

Re: The Best Years of Their Lives

I'm home early - which feels great, because two days in Alberta's back forty is about as much I can take.

I'm pleased about #53, obviously. schleuse - Noel and Liam wouldn't hang out with anyone; heck, they wouldn't even hang out with each other. First, they'd arrive in separate vehicles, and both would probably be half-cut by the time they got there. Noel would likely chat with Bowie (not Lennon, that's too obvious), meanwhile, Liam would be fighting with someone outside.