Josef K

Have some more lists while I put off getting debate blocks together.

1971:
10. Leonard Cohen: Songs of Love and Hate
9. The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers
8. Jethro Tull: Aqualung
7. Pink Floyd: Meddle
6. Joni Mitchell: Blue
5. Sly and the Family Stone: There’s a Riot Goin’ On
4. The Who: Who’s Next
3. Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On
2. David Bowie: Hunky Dory
1. Funkadelic: Maggot Brain

A really good year with a really incredible top four. I don't imagine this list will be too controversial - all very well-known and acclaimed albums here.

1972:
10. Nick Drake: Pink Moon
9. War: The World is a Ghetto
8. Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick
7. Todd Rundgren: Something/Anything?
6. Charles Mingus: Let My Children Hear Music
5. Neu!: Neu!
4. David Bowie: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
3. The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main Street
2. Big Star: #1 Record
1. Miles Davis: On the Corner

Three of my favorite albums of all time here, and even if Ziggy Stardust is a little overrated, it's still pretty great.

1973:
10. Genesis: Selling England by the Pound
9. New York Dolls: New York Dolls
8. Faust: Faust IV
7. Fela Kuti: Gentleman
6. James Brown: The Payback
5. Bruce Springsteen: The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle
4. Bruce Springsteen: Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ
3. David Bowie: Aladdin Sane
2. Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon
1. The Who: Quadrophenia

And now begins the part of the list-making where I acknowledge that everyone else here hates Springsteen. In fact, both of these two are deeply flawed albums, especially Asbury Park, but I love them both. We now enter the Boss's unimpeachable period.

1974:
10. Sparks: Propaganda
9. Leonard Cohen: New Skin for the Old Ceremony
8. Van Morrison: Veedon Fleece
7. Brian Eno: Here Come the Warm Jets
6. David Bowie: Diamond Dogs
5. Sparks: Kimono My House
4. Kraftwerk: Autobahn
3. Brian Eno: Taking Tiger Mountain
2. The Band and Bob Dylan: Before the Flood
1. Big Star: Radio City

Am I cheating a little by putting a live album at #2? Well, yes, but is said live album totally awesome? Also yes.

1975:
10. Patti Smith: Horses
9. David Bowie: Young Americans
8. Miles Davis: Agharta
7. Brian Eno: Another Green World
6. Fela Kuti: Confusion
5. Neil Young: Tonight’s the Night
4. Kraftwerk: Radio-Activity
3. Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks
2. Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here
1. Bruce Springsteen: Born to Run

Let's be honest: this is kind of a weak year. But we still get that great top three - my favorite Floyd album and one of my favorite Dylan albums.

1976:
5. Todd Rundgren: Faithful
4. Cecil Taylor: Dark to Themselves
3. The Modern Lovers: The Modern Lovers
2. Tom Waits: Small Change
1. David Bowie: Station to Station

It pains me to say that I couldn't even get to ten here. The year before punk blew up, and it's easy to see why. I basically never listen to 3-5, though I love the top two.

Josef K

I'll have a real, lengthy post coming Sunday. In the meantime, lemme knock off a couple more lists.

1977:
10. The Clash: The Clash
9. Dennis Wilson: Pacific Ocean Blue
8. David Bowie: Low
7. Television: Marquee Moon
6. Talking Heads: Talking Heads ‘77
5. Fela Kuti: Zombie
4. Pink Floyd: Animals
3. Suicide: Suicide
2. Kraftwerk: Trans-Europe Express
1. Elvis Costello: My Aim is True

From here on out, there are albums I really love in every year. My Aim is True is not my favorite Costello album (see below), but it's his first and it's home to some of his rawest, best songwriting. Let's put it this way: the same song is on the album three times under different names and he completely sells it. Suicide are great, my favorites from Kraftwerk and Fela, and the most underrated Floyd album.

1978:
10. The Adverts: Crossing the Red Sea With
9. The Saints: Eternally Yours
8. Wire: Chairs Missing
7. Talking Heads: More Songs About Buildings and Food
6. The Clash: Give ‘Em Enough Rope
5. The Jam: All Mod Cons
4. X-Ray Spex: Germ Free Adolescents
3. Elvis Costello: This Year’s Model
2. Big Star: Third/Sister Lovers
1. Bruce Springsteen: Darkness on the Edge of Town

This year is great because the list is all about punk until you get to the top three (some would say too). My favorite Springsteen album (back-and-forth with Nebraska, anyway), Big Star's brilliant posthumous release, great albums from Costello, the Jam, the Clash, Wire, Talking Heads (who are ranked that high just for "Found a Job"), and so on, plus one of my favorite punk albums in X-Ray Spex's only LP, which adds some dissonant free-jazz skronk to the formula.

1979:
10. Neil Young: Rust Never Sleeps
9. Public Image Ltd.: Second Edition
8. The Jam: Setting Sons
7. Talking Heads: Fear of Music
6. Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures
5. James Chance and the Contortions: Buy
4. The Clash: London Calling
3. Gang of Four: Entertainment!
2. The Fall: Live at the Witch Trials
1. The Pop Group: Y

I'll be honest: A Trip to Marineville is probably a better album than my #10 pick, although I love both. But I had to keep Young on the list because if I'd taken that off, this list would have been made up entirely of punk/post-punk/I guess new wave because of the Jam. This is a great year and it had more variation than you get from my list.

1980:
10. Joy Division: Closer
9. The Jam: Sound Affects
8. Young Marble Giants: Colossal Youth
7. XTC: Black Sea
6. Talking Heads: Remain in Light
5. The Feelies: Crazy Rhythms
4. The Fall: Grotesque
3. Bruce Springsteen: The River
2. X: Los Angeles
1. Elvis Costello: Get Happy!!

Another absurdly good year where I feel awful about leaving off an album - in this case, Underwater Moonlight. Two of my favorite albums of all time up top, plus my favorite XTC album. Good stuff.