The best/your favorite year in rock?

[ghost of miles]

Curious to know what others think of as either benchmark or very interesting years in rock history... My interest in new music has declined of late, so my apologies for the omission of any recent years in which noteworthy developments have taken place.

Myself, I dibs 1966.

Edited April 9, 2005 by ghost of miles

[AfricaBrass]

Myself, I dibs 1966.

I'll second that.

[Brownian Motion]

I pick whatever year the Beatles released "Revolver". I think that was '67.

[AfricaBrass]

I pick whatever year the Beatles released "Revolver". I think that was '67.

It was '66. It looks like we're all on the same page.

[GregK]

I'd have to pick early 70s, maybe 1970, 71 or 72 (some of Neil Young's best work was then, the Allman Brothers with Duane up to 1971, Zappa and his Hot Rats, Grand Wazoo, etc, King Crimson...)

[7/4]

Eh...66-73? It's hard call just one year. King Crimson's Discipline came out in 81.

[J.A.W.]

My fondest memories go back to the mid-to-late 1960s, one amazing rock album after another came out in those years...

[tonym]

I always thought my birth year was a classic one in terms of rock records; Déja Vu by CSNY, Roxy's first album, Led Zep III, LA Woman (I think). The first Sab album. I might be one or two years out but I do think 1969-1971 produced some fine stuff.

Then again 1991-1993/4 some great stuff. Soundgarden's Superunknown, Siamese Dream, the first two Suede albums, Pavement's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, Nirvana's big two, lots of great Stereolab and Sonic Youth stuff.

Debut by Bjork. Wow, could go on forever.

[GregK]

Eh...66-73? It's hard call just one year. King Crimson's Discipline came out in 81.

72-74 Crimson

then 90s Crimson

[BFrank]

Had to go with 1967:

"Are You Experienced?"

"Surrealistic Pillow"

"The Doors"

Can't beat that trio.

[ghost of miles]

For me, it's 1966 simply because some of my favorite albums came out that year:

The Beatles, REVOLVER

The Byrds, 5D

The Stones, AFTERMATH

The Kinks, FACE TO FACE

The Beach Boys, PET SOUNDS

Bob Dylan, BLONDE ON BLONDE

Lotsa great psychedelic/garage going down as well... and the Velvets' first album damn near makes the cut (released in Jan. 1967).

[J.A.W.]

The 1960s were an amazing decade for rock, first the British explosion - also known as the "British Invasion", which more or less started in 1962 (a couple of years later for our American friends), followed by all those garage/acid/folk-rock bands from across the pond... Fortrunately their albums were pretty easy to get in the Netherlands in those years. Had a great time.

[kulu se mama]

my favorite year is 1984.

not only did i come of age that year, but husker du, the replacements, prince, bruce springsteen, los lobos, and the pretenders all released career defining records.

and it was the first year that i worked in a record store.

how could i forget the minutemen and jason and the scorchers.

and my favorite r.e.m - reckoning.

Edited April 9, 2005 by kulu se mama

[7/4]

Eh...66-73? It's hard call just one year. King Crimson's Discipline came out in 81.

72-74 Crimson

then 90s Crimson

Still a hard call for me.

'70's Crimson was very heavy and abstract, both harmonically and rhythmically. '80's Crimson was move ahead. Besides, I saw the '80's band six times!

[ghost of miles]

my favorite year is 1984.

not only did i come of age that year, but husker du, the replacements, prince, bruce springsteen, los lobos, and the pretenders all released career defining records.

and it was the first year that i worked in a record store.

how could i forget the minutemen and jason and the scorchers.

and my favorite r.e.m - reckoning.

I almost put that year up for the very reasons that you mention. Picked '81 instead because it was the birth year for the American-indie movement (IMO) that you describe--R.E.M. debuting with the single "Radio Free Europe." Pretty sure the Replacements debuted that year too (was it STINK or SORRY MA? I always forget which one came first) and Husker Du with LAND SPEED RECORD.

[ghost of miles]

Some singles I love from '66 as well:

Jefferson Airplane, "It's No Secret"

Pink Floyd, "Arnold Layne"

The Stones, "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows?"

The Stones, "Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown"

Count Five, "Psychotic Reaction"

Beach Boys, "Good Vibrations"

Yardbirds, "Shapes of Things" ( )

... and haven't even begun to touch on soul/R & B/Motown...

[J.A.W.]

Some singles I love from '66 as well:

Jefferson Airplane, "It's No Secret"

Pink Floyd, "Arnold Layne"

The Stones, "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows?"

The Stones, "Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown"

Count Five, "Psychotic Reaction"

Beach Boys, "Good Vibrations"

Yardbirds, "Shapes of Things" ( )

... and haven't even begun to touch on soul/R & B/Motown...

Stop it, please! I'm running from one CD to another, and back again...

[GA Russell]

1964, the British Invasion.

That year enjoyed in the US not only the best current recordings of all the British bands, but also their accumulated backlog from '63.

[Quincy]

It's hard to pick just one as I love the guitar/improv bands of the early '70s along with the punk of the late seventies and indie or the early/mid '80s.

For seeing groups in concert I'd pick '73. Crimson, Grateful Dead, Stones, Zeppelin, and see for myself how disastrous one of The Who's Quadrophenia shows could be. Or 2 or 3! Plus Bob Marley w/ Bunny & Peter, The Faces, Zappa, Van Morrison, and some interesting line ups for Neil Young.

But for albums...I guess I'll go with '68. Not the best Who release that year (Magic Bus in the US) but they played a mean show at the Fillmore. Some of the releases you get are Beggar's Banquet, Village Green, the White Album, and Electric Ladyland. But what put it over the top for me was Notorious Byrd Brothers & Sweetheart of The Rodeo.

I could easily be talked into another year from '65 to '73, or perhaps something from '77 to '84.

[BFrank]

For me, it's 1966 simply because some of my favorite albums came out that year:

The Beatles, REVOLVER

The Byrds, 5D

The Stones, AFTERMATH

The Kinks, FACE TO FACE

The Beach Boys, PET SOUNDS

Bob Dylan, BLONDE ON BLONDE

Lotsa great psychedelic/garage going down as well...  and the Velvets' first album damn near makes the cut (released in Jan. 1967).

Yet ANOTHER great reason to vote for 1967. B-)

[Jazzmoose]

1968.00

[Jazz Kat]

I picked 64 don't know why since that was the year The Beatles took over everything, and I cannot stand them. But that was the year they first started hearing the Stones and I like them so so be it.

[brownie]

1967 was the year I first heard (and caught live in rapid succession) Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, Janis Joplin, the Who, the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead!

The fun (and the interest) did not last very long! Most of them went away and if they were any worthy successors, I missed those!

[bertrand]

Bfrank,

In your 1967 list, shouldn't we include After Bathing At Baxter's, or was that released in 1968?

Bertrand.

[BFrank]

Bfrank,

In your 1967 list, shouldn't we include After Bathing At Baxter's, or was that released in 1968?

Bertrand.

Oh, yeaaaaahhhhhhh!!!

It was certainly RECORDED in '67 and, I believe, released at the end of the year. One of my all-time favorite albums, BTW.

Also in 1967: