Saturday, December 17, 2005

The Best Year For Music? Redux

Bingley asked this question a couple of weeks ago. I originally answered 1991. I did so primarily on the strength of one album: The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Blood Sugar Sex Magic. Now, there was some other good stuff that came out that year, but this album really meant a lot to me and was pretty much the theme album of my senior year of high school.

However, the other day as I'm driving to work, something hit me. I had popped an MP3 compilation into the disc player and thrown it one random. The first three songs are all from some of my all-time favorite albums, all from 1986. Three songs from three of the best albums ever made in their genre.

So, I'd like to change my vote to 1986. Just to let you know, look at some of the albums from that year (even the one's I don't like are aguably great examples from these groups). Oh, the ones that are hyperlinked and bold are the greatest albums in metal (and the three albums I'm talking about). Ever. Disagree with me at your peril:

Who Made Who - AC/DC
Licensed to Ill - The Beastie Boys
Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi
Camper Van Beethoven - Camper Van Beethoven
King of America - Elvis Costello
Strong Persuader - Robert Cray
Staring at the Sea: the Singles - The Cure
August - Eric Clapton
So - Peter Gabriel
Invisible Touch - Genesis
Live Like A Suicide EP - Guns N' Roses
Somewhere in Time - Iron Maiden
Tones - Eric Johnson
Turbo - Judas Priest
True Colors - Cyndi Lauper
Lyle Lovett - Lyle Lovett
True Blue - Madonna
Trilogy - Yngwie Malmsteen
Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? - Megadeth
Master of Puppets - Metallica
Mind's Eye - Vinnie Moore
Portfolio - The Michael Schenker Group
Orgasmatron - Motörhead
Kicking Against the Pricks - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Your Funeral, My Trial - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
The Ultimate Sin - Ozzy Osbourne
Parade - Prince
Look What the Cat Dragged In - Poison (debut)
Rage for Order - Queensrÿche
Eat Em' and Smile - David Lee Roth
Raising Hell - Run DMC
Not of This Earth - Joe Satriani
Like A Rock - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
Graceland - Paul Simon
Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse - Skinny Puppy
Reign in Blood - Slayer

The Queen Is Dead - The Smiths
Live 1975-1985 - Bruce Springsteen
True Stories - Talking Heads
Mechanical Resonance - Tesla (debut)
They Might Be Giants - They Might Be Giants (debut)
5150 - Van Halen
Another View - The Velvet Underground


How friggin' awesome is that list? Too awesome. I can't believe that those three metal albums came out in the same year. You'd have thunk the universe would have shattered from the utter awesomeness of it. I'm listening to Peace Sells ... right now and it sounds as fresh and vibrant now as it ever did. Man these albums rock. But look at the other stuff on the list ... Peter Gabriel's So! They Might Be Giants! Joe Satriani's best album, Paul Simon's Graceland! Too feckin' awesome.

Disagree if you must. But you're wrong.

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