If we're talking great years in music, I really don't think 1991 can be beat as a banner year

[Hugh_Lebowski]

1991 unequivocally kicked ass, quality-wise. MANY albums among my all-time faves, that I still listen to 30 years later.

Achtung Baby - U2
Nevermind - Nirvana
Ten - Pearl Jam
Metallica (a.k.a. The Black Album) - Metallica
Blood Sugar Sex Magik - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Out of Time - R.E.M.
Gish - Smashing Pumpkins
Uncle Tupelo - Still Feel Gone
Girlfriend - Matthew Sweet
Fear - Toad the Wet Sprocket
Blue Lines - Massive Attack
Loveless - My Bloody Valentine
BadMotorFinger - Soundgarden
Screamadelica - Primal Scream
Temple of the Dog - Temple of the Dog
The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest
Use Your Illusion I - Guns N Roses
Use Your Illusion II - Guns N Roses
The Sky Is Crying - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill
Sailing the Seas of Cheese - Primus
Woodface - Crowded House
Green Mind - Dinosaur Jr.
Trompe le Monde - Pixies
WELD - Neil Young
Pretty on the Inside - Hole
Into the Great Wide Open - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Laughing Stock - Talk Talk
Luck of the Draw - Bonnie Raitt
Mama Said - Lenny Kravitz
Seal - Seal
Diamonds and Pearls - Prince
Bandwagonesque - Teenage Fanclub
Rumour and Sigh - Richard Thompson
No Pocky for Kitty - Superchunk
Doubt - Jesus Jones
Mr. Bungle - Mr. Bungle
Apocalypse '91 - Public Enemy
Death Certificate - Ice Cube
O.G. Original Gangster - Ice-T
De la Soul Is Dead - De la Soul
2Pacalypse Now - 2pac
We Can't Be Stopped - Geto Boys
Spiderland - Slint
Stars - Simply Red
Pocket Full of Kryptonite - Spin Doctors
Of the Heart, of the Soul & of the Cross - PM Dawn
Joyride - Roxette
Marc Cohn - Marc Cohn
Goat - Jesus Lizard
The Real Ramona - Throwing Muses
The Soul Cages - Sting
God Fodder - Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge - Mudhoney
Hymns to the Silence - Van Morrison

[MerryHolidays]

1. Ok. I'll disagree

I'm going with 1964-1970, when the Beatles were pretty much supreme. The level of music, by the Fab Four and so many US and UK acts is, for me, without par.

It was a bit before my time, but I am very much stuck in the 60s.

We accordingly hereby agree to disagree!

[Hugh_Lebowski]

3. You're talking about a 6 year span, anchored by the prolific output of the greatest band of all time

That's kinda cheating.

Find me one SINGLE year of that era where ANYONE has heard like 40 of the albums from that one year, from start to finish, and still listen to at least 15 of them regularly (as is true for me of 1991).

I'll wait ...

[MerryHolidays]

6. Since we agree they are the greatest band of all time, nothing more for me to add!

All said in good fun, except the Fab Four was just that. Rolling Stone once said that not liking the Beatles was akin to not liking the sun.

I miss the lads, but I'm glad my family and I have seen Sirs Paul and Ringo live.

I enjoy your posts!

[exboyfil]

2. My vote is for 1971

Notable albums: Led Zeppelin – "Led Zeppelin IV;" Joni Mitchell – "Blue" The Who – "Who's Next;" Marvin Gaye – "What's Going On;" The Allman Brothers – "At Fillmore East;" Carole King – "Tapestry;" David Bowie – "Hunky Dory;" The Rolling Stones – "Sticky Fingers;" Black Sabbath – "Master of Reality;" Sly & the Family Stone – "There's a Riot Goin' On;" Yes – "The Yes Album" and "Fragile;" John Lennon – "Imagine;" Jethro Tull – "Aqualung;" Funkadelic – "Maggot Brain"

Doors - LA Woman (their last Morrison album)
Janis Joplin - Pearl
Elton John - Madman Across the Water
ELP - Tarkus
Traffic - Low Spark
Pink Floyd - Meddle
Paul McCartney - Ram

[Hugh_Lebowski]

4. A very compelling argument can indeed be made for 1971 ...

I have indeed heard every single album you listed at least once, despite being 5 years old at the time

Especially Floyd, Zep, Yes x 2, Doors, and Tapestry.

I didn't say 1991 was THE BEST, I'm just saying it was very notably great ... I don't know there's a BETTER one, IOW. There's some equals though

[exboyfil]

5. I was 8 in 1971

Most of it is retrospective picking up my older brothers music as well as my dads.

I seem to adopt music about 20 years after it is popular. Very few bands where I started listening to them at the beginning. Still I find myself returning to the early 1970s the most.

1991 was a great year. I love Pearl Jam's first record. U2 and REM are favorites of mine. I came to Soundgarden through Audioslave, and I love them as well. I prefer older Van Morrison and Neil Young though. The rest of the list I haven't listened to much.


Here is a good list for someone rating the top 15 years.
https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2017/09/the_15_greatest_years_in_music.html

[Hugh_Lebowski]

8. See, I thought of this randomly, without even checking an 'all-time' list ;)

I'm pleased to see these people agree with me on 1991 though, being they have it as #3 after 69 and 71. That's an order I wouldn't complain about too much but I, as you, would probably go 71 as #1 ... and the only reason I might not is for the simple fact that Abbey Road and Zeppelin I and II are from 1969. Take those 3 away and '71 is automatic

[Hugh_Lebowski]

13. Given your overall taste, and what you just said ... I have to insist you listen to Girlfriend

by Matthew Sweet, if you, in fact, have never heard it.

Out of all these great 1991 albums, I've probably listened to Girlfriend the MOST times.

Yes, even above Achtung, Out of Time, Nevermind, Badmotorfinger, and 10.

Not by a LOT, but by a little bit

The two lead guitarists on this record, Robert Quine and Richard Lloyd, are legends (well, were, in the case of Quine). And that is the incomparable Greg Leisz on steel guitar on Winona ...

A selection of the greatness that is this album ...

[walkingman]

7. I was 21 and I totally agree. Hard for anyone to understand unless they experienced it.

[lastlib]

10. I wholeheartedly agree!

Add in the Moody Blues Every Good Boy Deserves Favour"

Only 1967 (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) and 1973 (Dark Side of the Moon) can compare.

[padfun]

9. I agree it was a great year but!!!

You forgot Ozzie's "No more tears"!

[Hugh_Lebowski]

11. You're right ... and I left it off cause I've never actually listened to that whole album

Unlike the first 2 which I've heard a bajillion times.

Once Randy was gone, I was like ... it can never be the same ...

I LOVE the title track tho ... definitely heard that one.

[Docreed2003]

12. I agree 100%

But I'm biased because that's my era and I listen to a good half of those albums pretty regularly, lol!

[IcyPeas]

14. I like this kind of discussion.

I liked the '91 and '71 lists.

[The Polack MSgt]

15. 91 was pretty amazing. I'll grant you that & I really don't have any strong disagreements

But I already staked out 1977

Earlier "Rock and Roll Debut records I owned" thread:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/103455702

Other notable Debuts:

Never Mind The Bollocks - Sex Pistols
Self titled debut - Steve Winwood
Self titled debut - Foreigner
Self titled debut - Whitesnake
Self titled debut - Lakeside
Self titled debut - Village People
Self titled debut - Levon Helm & the RCO All Stars
Self titled debut - Teddy Pendergrass
French Kiss - Bob Welch
Game Dames and Guitar Thangs - Eddie Hazel - If you call yourself a guitar fan & don't know this, fix that shortcoming.
In The City - The Jam
Rock City - Riot

Other notable records released in 1977

Animals - Pink Floyd
Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
Low - David Bowie
Aja - Steely Dan
Rocket to Russia - Ramones
Exodus - Bob Marley
Farewell to Kings - Rush
Street Survivors - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Bat Out of Hell - Meatloaf
Running on Empty - Jackson Brown
News of the World- Queen. - MY ALL TIME FAVORITE QUEEN RECORD!

Look I was a teenager in 77 - which means I think it's the best music ever, but 77 ranks in the top echelon of all time

[Hugh_Lebowski]

17. An auspicious lineup indeed. I was 11 and a big music fan already so I remember

most of the those, at least seeing them at the record store.

And some I heard A LOT back then like Rumours, Skynyrd, Foreigner, and Aja.

[Sewa]

16. I agree '91 was an amazing year for music

I’d have to add ‘68 and ‘82 into the mix. I’m sure you were old enough to remember ‘82.