Following schleuse's most interesting reporting of the 100 best acclaimed by individual artists, I would like to (ab)use Henrik's artist rankings formula for listing just the best years, period!

Taking the rankings of 6 best albums and songs per release year, what would be the top years? And is 1981 really that bad, as stated by quite a few of you in the 80's poll?

Well, hope this has not been posted already, but here we go.

In total, 92 years qualify, i.e. have an album or song in the AM 3000. All years before 1954 did not make it to the top 50. That leaves us only 53 years, 1954-2006.

Bubbling under are: 1962 (spot 53), 1954 (52) and 1961 (51).

Here are years 50 down to 41:

50. 1955 - The year of Little Richard's Tutti Frutti at #28.

49. 1960 - Only one listed in the top 100, the classic Will You Love Me Tomorrow by The Shirelles.

48. 1981 - Yep, sad but true. Ghost town or ghost year?

47. 1958 - Go Johnny Go! at #6 and some other song highlights.

46. 1990 - Another weak year, I hear Sinead crying ...

45. 1999 - Mediocracy galore with no album or song in the top 100.

44. 1985 - Hard to combine the vacuum cleaner sound of Jesus & the Mary Chain with Madonna's Get into the groove.

43. 1996 - Beck's best work to date could not prevent this low position from happening.

42. 2002 - This is a surprise to me. I would have expected one the naughties a bit earlier, and certainly not 2002. Well, suppose not everybody likes Wilco, Coldplay, The Streets, Interpol and Flaming Lips as much as I do ...

41. 1957 - Weak album year, but still on 41 thanks to some highly acclaimed songs from Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis.

The rest will be posted later. Any guesses from your side on the remaining 40 years?

Any remarks or suggestions are welcome as well!

Damn...wish I'd thought of that. Great idea, Andre.

I would guess that the top of the list will be dominated by 1965-71 (darnit). But I won't cheat...I'll wait and find out with everyone else.

10 acclaimed dollars on either 1966 or 1967 (probably 67) as coming first.

Cool idea, Andre!

How about presenting album and song positions for each year, together with the overall year ranking? I think that would be interesting when we get closer to the top.

Henrik, do you mean a listing of each album and song ranking, or do you mean a countdown of 'best album year' and 'best song year'?

I assumed the latter one, but could do both ...

I think he means the first, just mentioning which albums/songs were in the top 6 for that year and which places they occupy.

Actually, I meant the second. Something like
41. 1957 (album rank: 50, song rank: 24)

A listing of the 6 albums and 6 songs would be nice too, of course!

First try:

#50: 1955

Album rank: 52

Song rank: 17

Top albums:
224 - Frank Sinatra - In the Wee Small Hours
683 - Erroll Garner - Concert by the Sea
743 - Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown - Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown
1310 - Count Basie - Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings
1509 - Dinah Washington - Dinah Jams
1547 - Dizzy Gillespie - Groovin' High

Top songs:
28 - Little Richard - Tutti Frutti
78 - Chuck Berry - Maybellene
85 - Elvis Presley - Mystery Train
177 - Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
240 - Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy
329 - The Platters - The Great Pretender

Wow, exciting idea ...

It's always funny how divergent the album and song rankings are prior to 1964 or so. Not just completely different artists, but completely different genres...which probably seemed like they were from different planets at the time. Yeah, I know Elvis and Li'l Richard and Buddy and the Everlys and a few others manage to crack the album rankings, but they're kind of the exception that proves the rule.

The only artist from 1955-64 who convincingly bridged the worlds of rock and jazz (not to mention country and American standards) was Ray Charles.

Ah, then I completely misunderstood you both. Or I wasn't reading properly.. or both.

That looks very nice Andre.

Hi, I've decided to add some graphics and split this thread in 5 parts. See here part 1.

And here is part 2.

part 3

part 4

final part 5

And here is the complete list for the years:

1. 1967 (album rank: 1, song rank: 2)
2. 1968 (2, 3)
3. 1966 (3, 4)
4. 1965 (8, 1)
5. 1971 (4, 5)
6. 1991 (6, 9)
7. 1969 (7, 10)
8. 1977 (5, 15)
9. 1972 (10, 16)
10. 1975 (9, 19)
11. 1970 (11, 20)
12. 1979 (13, 21)
13. 1976 (17, 12)
14. 1973 (12, 42)
15. 1963 (33, 6)
16. 1982 (25, 11)
17. 1987 (14, 29)
18. 1980 (18, 24)
19. 1986 (19, 31)
20. 1995 (20, 26)
21. 1989 (16, 34)
22. 1984 (24, 22)
23. 1983 (28, 18)
24. 1988 (15, 49)
25. 1994 (21, 35)
26. 1956 (43, 8)
27. 1997 (22, 32)
28. 1978 (23, 36)
29. 1964 (45, 7)
30. 2003 (41, 23)
31. 1993 (29, 38)
32. 1992 (26, 46)
33. 1974 (27, 43)
34. 1959 (38, 28)
35. 1998 (34, 41)
36. 2001 (35, 40)
37. 2006 (40, 37)
38. 2004 (32, 51)
39. 2005 (36, 48)
40. 2000 (37, 45)
41. 1957 (47, 14)
42. 2002 (42, 44)
43. 1996 (31, 52)
44. 1985 (30, 53)
45. 1999 (39, 50)
46. 1990 (44, 39)
47. 1958 (51, 13)
48. 1981 (46, 30)
49. 1960 (48, 27)
50. 1955 (52, 17)
51. 1961 (49, 33)
52. 1954 (53, 25)
53. 1962 (50, 47)
54. 1953 (54, 57)
55. 1951 (55, 56)
56. 1952 (57, 58)
57. 1939 (x, 54)
58. 1950 (56, 63)
59. 1947 (x, 55)
60. 1949 (59, 59)
61. 1940 (58, 65)
62. 1928 (x, 60)
63. 1941 (x, 61)
64. 1936 (x, 62)
65. 1937 (x, 64)
66. 1945 (x, 66)
67. 1929 (x, 67)
68. 1938 (x, 68)
69. 1948 (x, 69)
70. 1946 (x, 70)
71. 1930 (x, 71)
72. 1927 (x, 72)
73. 1942 (x, 73)
74. 1924 (x, 74)
75. 1923 (x, 75)
76. 1935 (x, 76)
77. 1925 (x, 77)
78. 1931 (x, 78)
79. 1944 (x, 79)
80. 1922 (x, 80)
81. 1934 (x, 81)
82. 1943 (x, 82)
83. 1932 (x, 83)
84. 1919 (x, 84)
85. 1918 (x, 85)
86. 1909 (x, 86)
87. 1902 (x, 87)
88. 1920 (x, 88)
89. 1926 (x, 89)
90. 1913 (x, 90)
91. 1911 (x, 91)
92. 1933 (x, 92)

And the decades once again:
1. 1960s (album rank: 1, song rank: 1)
2. 1970s (2, 2)
3. 1990s (3, 5)
4. 1980s (4, 4)
5. 1950s (6, 3)
6. 2000s (5, 6)
7. 1940s (7, 7)
8. 1930s (x, 8)
9. 1920s (x, 9)
10. 1910s (x, 10)
11. 1900s (x, 11)

And, to be complete, the centuries:

1. 20th (album rank: 1, song rank: 1)
2. 21st (2, 2)



Wonder if and when this century will take #1 spot. Maybe in about 50 years from now? To be posted on this forum!

Andre, just you wait for 2074! Nicolas told me that it's going to be the best year of the 2070's, and a really good one in general.

Okay, let's keep each other posted!

Bedtime over here. Good night!

AM site update ... means new year rankings as well, now including 2007.

Here are the 93 most acclaimed years:
1. 1967 (album rank: 1, song rank: 2)
2. 1968 (2, 3)
3. 1966 (3, 4)
4. 1965 (8, 1)
5. 1971 (4, 5)
6. 1991 (6, 9)
7. 1969 (7, 10)
8. 1977 (5, 13)
9. 1972 (9, 16)
10. 1975 (10, 20)
11. 1970 (11, 19)
12. 1979 (13, 21)
13. 1976 (18, 12)
14. 1982 (24, 11)
15. 1963 (32, 6)
16. 1973 (12, 40)
17. 1980 (17, 23)
18. 1987 (15, 28)
19. 1986 (19, 31)
20. 1989 (16, 33)
21. 1995 (20, 25)
22. 1988 (14, 43)
23. 1984 (25, 22)
24. 1956 (42, 8)
25. 1994 (21, 36)
26. 1983 (31, 18)
27. 1978 (22, 37)
28. 1964 (47, 7)
29. 1997 (23, 35)
30. 1993 (28, 38)
31. 1974 (27, 41)
32. 1992 (26, 47)
33. 2003 (38, 24)
34. 1959 (37, 30)
35. 2001 (34, 39)
36. 1957 (49, 15)
37. 2006 (43, 32)
38. 1998 (35, 44)
39. 1985 (29, 54)
40. 1996 (30, 53)
41. 2004 (33, 50)
42. 2000 (36, 46)
43. 2002 (41, 45)
44. 2005 (39, 49)
45. 1981 (46, 29)
46. 1958 (52, 14)
47. 1990 (45, 42)
48. 1999 (40, 52)
49. 1961 (48, 34)
50. 1960 (50, 27)
51. 2007 (44, 51)
52. 1955 (53, 17)
53. 1954 (54, 26)
54. 1962 (51, 48)
55. 1953 (55, 58)
56. 1951 (56, 57)
57. 1952 (58, 59)
58. 1939 (x, 55)
59. 1950 (57, 63)
60. 1947 (x, 56)
61. 1949 (60, 60)
62. 1940 (59, 67)
63. 1928 (x, 61)
64. 1941 (x, 62)
65. 1936 (x, 64)
66. 1937 (x, 65)
67. 1945 (x, 66)
68. 1929 (x, 68)
69. 1948 (x, 69)
70. 1938 (x, 70)
71. 1946 (x, 71)
72. 1930 (x, 72)
73. 1927 (x, 73)
74. 1942 (x, 74)
75. 1923 (x, 75)
76. 1924 (x, 76)
77. 1935 (x, 77)
78. 1931 (x, 78)
79. 1925 (x, 79)
80. 1944 (x, 80)
81. 1922 (x, 81)
82. 1934 (x, 82)
83. 1932 (x, 83)
84. 1943 (x, 84)
85. 1919 (x, 85)
86. 1909 (x, 86)
87. 1918 (x, 87)
88. 1902 (x, 88)
89. 1920 (x, 89)
90. 1926 (x, 90)
91. 1913 (x, 91)
92. 1911 (x, 92)
93. 1933 (x, 93)

So, no huge changes ... and the year 2007 entering at position 51 (only).

And the most acclaimed decades:
1. 1960s (album rank: 1, song rank: 1)
2. 1970s (2, 2)
4. 1990s (3, 5)
3. 1980s (4, 4)
6. 2000s (5, 6)
5. 1950s (6, 3)
7. 1940s (7, 7)
8. 1930s (x, 8)
9. 1920s (x, 9)
10. 1910s (x, 10)
11. 1900s (x, 11)

Here are the decades again, but now sorted properly:
1. 1960s (album rank: 1, song rank: 1)
2. 1970s (2, 2)
3. 1980s (4, 4)
4. 1990s (3, 5)
5. 1950s (6, 3)
6. 2000s (5, 6)
7. 1940s (7, 7)
8. 1930s (x, 8)
9. 1920s (x, 9)
10. 1910s (x, 10)
11. 1900s (x, 11)

No surprises here. 1967 was indeed the best. And you can't get much more middle-of-the-road than last year. I predict this year will be in the weaker half.

Nice work Andre!