Every record store geek makes list, as documented in High Fidelity. Every music fan has their top “something or other” list: Top 50 heartbreak songs, Top 5 songs containing “arthritis” or best songs about food.
But finding the ONE best or favorite record for each year you have been alive?
I was reading this blog post the other day and became obsessed with this meme, and compulsively began the task of adding to the vast array of folks who have attempted it.
I figured it would be challenging but doable. I figured the biggest challenge would be the earliest years of my life when I would not have any emotional attachment to the recordings.
Okay, so I was wrong.
And I cheated – a little. Note that there are a few “ties” in the list below. A few years had releases that hold such critical placements in the soundtrack of my life, they were inseparable. Now, @betheboy suggested a tie-breaker of which record I listened to, from start to finish, most recently. I am taking advantage of using the ties to showcase a few extra important recordings, some of which have been forgotten, or in some cases, never found.
I’ve resisted offering detailed reasoning behind the choices – maybe in subsequent posts I will shed some light on the process. Some are obvious choices, and there may be some head scratching at the ommission of other “obvious choices”. Basically, for the most part, the recordings listed below are the most important recordings to ME that were released during that year. This is an emotionally charged list with only the slightest relationship to the generally accepted positions some brilliant recordings claim on other lists. Yep, this one’s mine. And I am well aware that my favorite record of 2008 will change in weeks as soon as Stay Positive by The Hold Steady comes out.
There are alot of years of rock and roll (and countless hours of obsessive listening) represented below…and I have the gray hair and hearing loss to show for it. Proudly!
So, how does this compare to your list? Or are YOU up to the task? If so, post a link to your list below…
| 1957 | Elvis Presley | Elvis’ Christmas Album |
| 1958 | Bille Holiday | Lady in Satin |
| 1959 | Miles Davis | Kind of Blue |
| 1960 | Miles Davis | Sketches of Spain |
| 1961 | Patsy Cline | Showcase |
| 1962 | Dave Brubeck | Music from West Side Story |
| 1963 | Beatles | Please Please Me |
| 1964 | Beatles | A Hard Day’s Night |
| 1965 | Bob Dylan | Highway 61 Revisited |
| 1966 | Tommy James/Shondells | Hanky Panky |
| 1967 | Beatles | Sgt. Peppers |
| 1968 | Spirit | The Family That Plays Together |
| 1968 | Tommy James/Shondells | Crimson and Clover |
| 1969 | Who | Tommy |
| 1970 | Spirit | 12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus |
| 1971 | Alice Cooper | Love It To Death |
| 1972 | David Bowie | Ziggy Stardust |
| 1973 | Alice Cooper | Billion Dollar Babies |
| 1973 | David Bowie | Alladin Sane |
| 1974 | Roxy Music | Country Life |
| 1975 | Pink Floyd | Wish You Were Here |
| 1976 | Various Artists | Live at CBGB’s |
| 1977 | Mink DeVille | Mink DeVille |
| 1977 | Television | Marquee Moon |
| 1978 | Elvis Costello | This Year’s Model |
| 1979 | Clash | London Calling |
| 1980 | Joy Division | Closer |
| 1981 | Cure | Seventeen Seconds |
| 1982 | Elvis Costello | Imperial Bedroom |
| 1983 | REM | Murmur |
| 1984 | Husker Du | Zen Arcade |
| 1984 | Minutemen | Double Nickels on the Dime |
| 1985 | Replacements | Tim |
| 1986 | Elvis Costello | Blood and Chocolate |
| 1987 | John Hiatt | Bring the Family |
| 1988 | Pixies | Surfer Rosa |
| 1989 | Cure | Disintegration |
| 1990 | Posies | Dear 23 |
| 1990 | Temple of the Dog | Temple of the Dog |
| 1991 | Nirvana | Nevermind |
| 1992 | Arc Angels | Arc Angels |
| 1992 | Bedlam | Into The Coals |
| 1993 | Sarah McLachlan | Fumbling Towards Ecstasy |
| 1994 | Soundgarden | Superunknown |
| 1995 | Oasis | (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? |
| 1996 | Chavez | Ride the Fader |
| 1997 | Bob Dylan | Time Out of Mind |
| 1998 | Lyle Lovett | Step Inside This House |
| 1999 | Sigur Rós | Ágætis Byrjun |
| 2000 | Pete Townshend | Lifehouse Chronicles |
| 2001 | U2 | All That You Can’t Leave Behind |
| 2002 | Trail of Dead | Source Tags & Codes |
| 2003 | Joe Strummer | Streetcore |
| 2004 | Rachael Yamagata | Happenstance |
| 2005 | Hold Steady | Separation Sunday |
| 2006 | Hold Steady | Boys and Girls in America |
| 2007 | Wilco | Sky Blue Sky |
| 2008 so far | Gutter Twins | Saturnalia |
