Black Sabbath's Paranoid won 1970. The beatles are behind us, let's see who wins 1971. Billboard chart-topping albums of 1971: George Harrison - All Things Must Pass (cont. from 70) Soundtrack - Jesus Christ Superstar Janis Joplin - Pearl Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - 4 Way Street The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers Carole King - Tapestry Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story John Lennon - Imagine Isaac Hayes - Shaft Santana - III Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On Billboard chart-topping singles of 1971: George Harrison - My Sweet Lord (cont. from 70) Dawn - Knock Three Times The Osmonds - One Bad Apple Janis Joplin - Me and Bobby McGee The Temptations - Just My Imagination Three Dog Night - Joy to the World The Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar Honey Cone - Want Ads Carole King - It's Too Late The Raiders - Indian Reservation James Taylor - You've Got a Friend Bee Gees - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart Paul McCartney - Uncle Albert Donny Osmond - Go Away Little Girl Rod Stewart - Maggie May Cher - Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves Isaac Hayes - Shaft Sly and the Family Stone - Family Affair Melanie - Brand New Key What are your top three albums for 1971? We will keep a running tally and eventually have some sort of bracket. For me it would be: 1. Black Sabbath - Master of Reality 2. Joni Mitchell - Blue 3. Marvin Gaye - What's Goin On What are some of the forgotten gems from the year? What is overrated? What did you discover at a young age and what did you discover later? YEARS IN MUSIC • forum.chorus.fm
remaining top 10: 4. link wray - link wray 5. david bowie - hunky dory 6. harry nilsson - nilsson schmilsson 7. graham nash - songs for beginners 8. gene clark - white light 9. the flamin' groovies - teenage head 10. can - tago mago other cuts and honorable mentions: bad finger - straight up the band - cahoots bill withers - just as i am crazy horse - crazy horse david crosby - if i could only remember my name the doors - LA woman elton john - madman across the water faces - long player james taylor - mud slide slim and the blue horizon jethro tull - aqualung john lennon - imagine john prine - john prine the kinks - muswell hillbillies kris kristofferson - the silver tongued devil and i led zeppelin - iv leonard cohen - songs of love and hate paul mccartney - ram merle haggard - hag merle haggard - someday we’ll look back pink floyd - meddle rolling stones - sticky fingers t rex - electric warrior traffic - the low spark of high heeled boys the who - who’s next willie nelson - yesterday’s wine yes - the yes album stuff to check out: isaac hayes - shaft king crimson - islands mott the hoople - wildlife stevie wonder - where i’m coming from ten years after - a space in time van morrison - tupelo honey
Joni Mitchell's Blue was released 50 years ago exactly as of tomorrow, so if you're looking for a reason to listen, that's as good as any.
1. Joni Mitchell - Blue 2. Marvin Gaye - What’s Goin On 3. Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey Great year. Also: Sticky Fingers Tapestry IV Surf’s Up The Stylistics
Another themed listen for today if anyone's looking for one. It's Nils Lofgren's birthday and the s/t album from Grin is a 1971. Christgau gave it a very good review and said to "Watch him" when it was first released. Jussayin.
1. Joni Mitchell - Blue 2. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On 3. David Bowie - Hunk Dory A really excellent year. Blue is an incredibly strong collection of folk songs, on a pure songwriting basis, this is one of the strongest albums of all time. She's not necessarily doing anything that other folk musicians weren't, she was just executing it perfectly. Seems to have grown in influence the past decade or so, you can really hear echoes of it, in plenty of other artists. Seems crazy to not have Marvin Gaye as number one, considering how good this album is. A hugely ambitious concept soul album, with all the songs bleeding into one another, like a 35 minute suite. It just feels so much bigger in comparison with his contemporaries (as brilliant as they all are). Again, like Joni, the influence here can be seen everywhere, but barely anybody can get close to this. Third is probably just about my favourite Bowie album - it's not a high concept or "out there" record, like some of Bowie's other stuff, but song-for-song it's probably his best (maybe...). More piano based than what came before or after, it's a fantastic record, and what I think is a great introduction to Bowie, if there's anybody left who hasn't heard him. I also love his description of Bob Dylan as having a "voice like sand and glue", on "Song for Bob Dylan". Honourable mentions; Van Morrisson - Tupelo Honey: Just missed out on the top 3, the title track here is one of the greatest love songs of all time. BB King - Live in Cook County Jail: A prison live record, which sees King in great form. Gil-Scott Heron - Pieces of a Man: Contains "The Revolution Will Not be Televised", and is a really fascinating soulful album, that feels like one of the first hip-hop records. Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Going On: Almost like the Funk version of Gaye's record, a dark political record. Townes Van Zandt - Delta Momma Blues: My favourite Van Zandt record, heavily blues influenced country music, and contains my favourite track of his, "Nothin'". Seiji Ozawa & Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Lutosławski: Concerto for Orchestra - Janáček: Sinfonietta: Something a bit different. I know very little about classical (outside of a very little bit of neo-classical), but I love this symphony and this performance of it.
i disagree it’s bowie’s best but i’m also deranged (pun intended) when it comes to him. let’s see if i can find my old ranking
1. Cat Stevens - Teaser and the Firecat 2. Original Cast Recording - Godspell 3. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On Excruciating cuts: The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers The Who - Who's Next Delaney and Bonnie - Motel Shot Led Zeppelin - IV T. Rex - Electric Warrior Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story Others I love: Joni Mitchell - Blue John Lennon - Imagine Santana - III Paul and Linda McCartney - Ram Billy Joel - Cold Spring Harbor Elton John - Madman Across the Water Jethro Tull - Aqualung Stevie Wonder - Where I'm Coming From Electric Light Orchestra - No Answer Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson Gene Clark - White Light Gil Scott-Heron - Pieces of a Man John Prine - John Prine Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey Don McLean - American Pie Donny Hathaway - Donny Hathaway Miles Davis - Jack Johnson Bill Cosby - Badfoot Brown and the Bradford Bunions Funeral and Marching Band Colin Blunstone - One Year Faces - A Nod's As Good As a Wink...to a Blind Horse Carole King - Tapestry Good ones: Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On Dolly Parton - Coat of Many Colors Melanie - Gather Me David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name Bee Gees - Trafalgar Black Sabbath - Master of Reality Leonard Cohen - Songs of Love and Hate Alice Cooper - Love It to Death Janis Joplin - Pearl The Moody Blues - Every Good Boy Deserves Favour Pharaoh Sanders - Thembi Bob Seger - Brand New Morning Badfinger - Straight Up Curtis Mayfield - Roots Graham Nash - Songs for Beginners Funkadelic - Maggot Brain The J. Geils Band - The Morning After Gerry Rafferty - Can I Have My Money Back? The Hollies - Distant Light Al Green - Gets Next to You The Beach Boys - Surf's Up Alice Cooper - Killer The Allman Brothers - At Fillmore East David Bowie - Hunky Dory Nina Simone - Here Comes the Sun Link Wray - Link Wray Isaac Hayes - Shaft Grin - Grin Traffic - The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys John Simon - John Simon's Album Pink Floyd - Meddle The Doors - L.A. Woman Cheo Feliciano - Cheo George Harrison and Friends - The Concert for Bangladesh David Ruffin - David Fanny - Charity Ball Nick Drake - Bryter Layter Helen Reddy - Helen Reddy Merle Haggard - Hag Faces - Long Player Richie Havens - Alarm Clock Lee Michaels - 5th The Kinks - Muswell Hillbillies Booker T and the MGs - Melting Pot Merry Clayton - Merry Clayton Dr. John - The Sun, The Moon and Herbs Sandy Denny - The North Star Grassmen and the Ravens Stephen Stills - Stephen Stills 2 Wings - Wild Life Tonto's Exploding Head Band - Zero Time Bread - Manna The Partridge Family - Up to Date Lee Moses - Time and Place Loggina and Messina - Sittin' In Freddie King - Getting Ready... Targets for listening: Jean Knight - Mr. Big Stuff Bonnie Raitt - Bonnie Raitt Bill Withers - Just As I Am Can - Tago Mago Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Pictures at an Exhibition Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Tarkus Flamin' Groovies - Teenage Head Serge Gainsbourg - Histoire de Melody Nelson Fela Ransome-Kuti and Africa '70 with Ginger Baker - Live Yes - The Yes Album B.B. King - Live in Cook County Jail Loretta Lynn - Coal Miner's Daughter Alice Coltrane - Journey in Satchidanada Jonathan Edwards - Jonathan Edwards Focus - Moving Waves Grand Funk Railroad - E. Pluribus Funk Ten Years After - A Space in Time John Denver - Poems, Prayers and Promises Rare Earth - One World Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn - We Only Make Believe J.J. Cale - Naturally Isaac Hayes - Black Moses The Move - Message from the Country Laura Nyro and Labelle - Gonna Take a Miracle Willie Colon and Hector Lavoe - La Gran Fuga Fania All Stars - Live at the Cheetah, Vol. 1 Jackie Mittoo - Wishbone The Dramatics - Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get Jerry Reed - When You're Hot, You're Hot
ya'll dorks forgot to tell me we're in the 70s now, pshhhhhh. I just finished my 1971 deep dive, putting the finishing touches on my 20-song mix from the year this week hopefully, it's tough to whittle down. Favorite albums from 1971 (that I have listened to more than once): 1. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV 2. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On 3. The Who - Who's Next 4. Janis Joplin - Pearl 5. Paul & Linda McCartney - Ram 6. John Lennon - Imagine 7. The Allman Brothers Band - At The Fillmore East 8. Carole King - Tapestry 9. Joni Mitchell - Blue 10. Elton John - Madman Across The Water 11. Wings - Wild Life 12. Billy Joel - Cold Springs Harbor PLUS, these albums were all albums that I listened to for the first time, and many would rise up in my rankings after more listens, but I don't know them well enough to actually rank yet. David Bowie - Hunky Dory Baby Huey - The Baby Huey Story Faces - Long Player Faces - A Nos Is As Good As A Wink Don McLean - American Pie Funkadelic - Maggot Brain Nick Drake - Bryter Layter Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson Pink Floyd - Meddle George Harrison - The Concert For Bangladesh Stevie Wonder - Where I'm Coming From War - All Day Music War - War
I've listened to Paranoid in full and mostly dug it, listened to some of Master of Reality but it wasn't really pulling me in for some reason, not sure why. "After Forever" stood out to me though
Here's my 1971 mix, pretty sure this is my final cut but I'm not entirely certain. Every mix is 20 songs and it has to fit on a burned CD so I can play in my car, this one is a little long so I don't have a solution there yet. Either way, mostly the obvious ones here but they're goooood
that threw me off. i didn't include it bc apple music lied to me and told me it was '70 and i included it last year
If Madman ended at “Indian Sunset” it would be my #1 and maybe the best (short) album of all time. But it loses some steam in the back half. I find myself going back to Cold Spring Harbor a LOT these days. The simplicity and vulnerability really hits me I listed it. It’s just not a favorite of mine particularly.
Agree with you on Madman, super strong front half. And in regards to Cold Spring Harbor, there's like 2-3 tracks that stick with me but the rest hasn't a ton, especially compared to what comes later in his discog. Either way, it's a really solid debut. Have you made sure to listen to the correct mixes of the album? I read a lot about how the original release was all kinds of fucked up for a long time
Yeah it’s really hard to even find the original mixes. I bought a really shitty bootleg like 10 years ago just to see what the differences were. I actually think the meddling “updates” improved it (as well as actually getting the mastering speed correct)
I think I have only listened to the "fixed" mixes but did notice that some of the original ones were a LOT longer, You Can Make Me Free is 6 minutes long! "Tomorrow Is Today" is a whole minute longer... Have you listened much to the longer versions, I assume they must differ a lot