With the huge success of the 2008 recommendations thread, I think it would be great with similar threads for the 1970s poll (which starts with 1970 next month if I'm correct).

In the 1980s and 1990s polls, some of us have posted their lists in the beginning of the month to push for their favorite albums and songs (I assume), while others have waited with their lists to the end of the month to listen to as much music from the year in question as possible. With recommendation threads like this one, we can all recommend our favorites and use time to listen to the recommendations from others.

I've done preliminary 1970 lists and it turned out that there aren't a lot of surprises on my lists so far (I need you to surprise me!), but at least I have one lesser known song that for me is one of the 10 best songs of 1970. It's one of my favourite Bob Marley songs (I LOVE early Wailers). "Caution" is the closest to James Brown he ever got. I promise that you will not sit still to this...

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Caution

I had heard that song before, but thanks for the reminder. Just when I thought my top 20 songs were set, damn you.

Albums in my top 20 of 1970 not in the AM top 50

Lee Dorsey - Yes We Can
Antonio Carlos Jobim - Stone Flower
Lee Hazlewood - Cowboy in Sweden
John Cale - Vintage Violence
Kris Kristofferson - Kristofferson
The Band - Stage Fright
John Phillips - The Wolfking of L.A.

also don't miss/forget about #'s 37 and 38

Spirit - Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus
The Beach Boys - Sunflower

This is how I use to do when looking for songs/albums for a given year:

1. First I check the singles and albums here on AM

2. Then I go to RYM: http://rateyourmusic.com/charts/

There i search for singles and albums that I know of and that I find interresting. Singles rated among the top 300 for a given year and 100 albums use to cover the most that I like. I recommend you follow the albums and singles "links" to albums to check out if there are other songs from an album that might be interresting as well. On RYM many albums and songs has recommendations from users if you read the review. Also check out the "esoteric" lists on RYM.

3. Rocklist.net has many interresting lists. I use to search "lists by year" in the right column to find more "obscure" material.

4. The "survivor" games on RYM are listed here:

http://rateyourmusic.com/list/ivank79/survivor_games

There you can find out what a majority of RYM users think is the "best" song on an album for a given year. The "albums" are listed by year so...

5. I look for recommendations here on AM personal lists by year.

6. Last or first I check my own song files that are listed by year to see if there's anything missing that I like.

7. Songs that are especially good I save in song folders to be used in those megalists we are so obsessed with here on AM. In "quality" order, 1-100, 101-200 usw.

Good luck! And may the next decade be as good as or better than the last! :)

Making 70s lists is going to be a lot harder than making 80s lists.

I look down the 70's list, and I see like 20 albums I have but haven't listened to in a while, but have to listen to again before I make a list in case they've grown on me.

I can only imagine how heated the 1971 and 1977 polls are going to be. The only year of the decade with a clear favorite is 1976. (Maybe 1979 too, but that could be really close.)

Is this gonna start coming Sunday? Nassim (aka LonesomePanda), as organizer, can you confirm that?

My favourite 1972 album is from Josh Rouse

More serious: The seventies decade is my weakest of the last 5, so lots of listening work ahead. Back then, I was too young to be highly involved. As youngest of 5 children I did get some musical upbringing from my brothers and sisters (Pink Floyd, Bowie and Talking Heads to name a few), but music was still more 'consumption' instead of active listening ...

Being new to this site, but wanting to participate, can someone please tell me how lists are formatted and how they are submitted. I really like 70s music. Thanks in advance.

SR, the procedure will be equal (or similar) to the 90s poll (2007) and 80s poll (last year). Here is a link to last year's rules and infos:

http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/806572

BTW, welcome to the AM forum!

..(braingashed).. that Lee Dorsey record is some barn of a combustible candidate, but I'm afraid the competition is much too keen.. I remember myself having deadplayed the Yes We Can (Pt 1) song from a long-forgotten Greatest Funk Compilation though,
hence there are still some vacant pez drops in the 70/20tracks selection left..

Yes I confirm you that this will start on Sunday.
I will be a totally neutral judge since I have no album released between 73 and 81 in my top 100 ^^

At the end of the year, you will!

is this poll open to all AM users such as myself? or only to regulars? and how big do you want the lists to be?

It is open to everybody Nick, you are more than welcome.
Your list must have at least 5 entries with no upper limitations, however only your 20 first entries will be taken into account for the final results.

Nick, all polls here are open to everyone. Even this one:

http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3172289350/show/943394

The first round of this AM Pazz & Jop Songs of 2008 poll is still not over yet, so feel free and submit your votes there as well!

Albums in my top 20 of 1970 not in the AM top 40:

#43 - Aretha Franklin - Spirit In The Dark
#45 - David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World
#55 - The Band - Stage Fright
#76 - The Move - Shazam

So, my top 20 within AM top 80. This pretty much shows how much 1970 material I'm lacking.

Two albums from my top 10 that no one hasn't mentioned yet. I know they are not going to make to top 100 but at least I recommend you to listen to these youtube videos.

Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day
Lovely hippie folk album. I found Vashti Bunyan's music when she released her second album in 2005(!!). This is her debut album released 35 years(!!) before.
Sonofsamiam mentioned opening track of the album .Diamond Day
My favourite is maybe this. Rainbow River


Can - Soundtracks
Why no one hasn't voted this? Hope this doesn't mean that anybody won't vote Tago Mago either. (Not possible)
This video is live version of Mother Sky. Album version is almost 15 minutes long but this is only 6 minutes version.

Hmm,
The sound wasn't best in the live version.
Here is the other track from Can's album.