Music: Best Albums of the Year Series: 1976

[Saturated Fats]

1965: The Beatles - Rubber Soul
1966: The Beatles - Revolver
1967: The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
1969: The Beatles - Abbey Road
1970: Black Sabbath - Paranoid
1971: Led Zeppelin - IV
1973: Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
1975: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
1977: Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
1979: Pink Floyd - The Wall
1980: AC/DC - Back in Black
1982: Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
1984: Metallica - Ride the Lightning
1985: Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
1988: Metallica - ...And Justice for All
1989: Pixies - Doolittle
1991: Nirvana - Nevermind
1992: Alice in Chains - Dirt
1996: (TIE) Soundgarden - Down on the Upside // Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire
1998: (TIE) Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill // System of a Down - System of a Down
1999: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
2000: Radiohead - Kid A
2002: Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
2004: (TIE) Madvillain - Madvillainy // The Killers - Hot Fuss // Green Day - American Idiot
2005: Coldplay - X & Y
2007: Radiohead - In Rainbows
2010: The National - High Violet
2011: No definitive winner
2014: Behemoth - The Satanist

2001: The Strokes - Is This It (15 votes)

2nd Place (TIE): Tool - Lateralus (12 votes)
2nd Place (TIE): White Stripes - White Blood Cells
4th Place: System of a Down - Toxicity (8 votes)
5th Place: Radiohead - Amnesiac (6 votes)

2001 was a great year, and I suppose I'm not all that surprised to see the deeply important rock revival of The Strokes win out. I had predicted Tool, which got the catbird seat. Still some outstanding works both in the top-5, and outside of it.

I'm not sure what to think about 1976. Not a particularly deep or top-heavy year, either in commercial or critical-retrospective respects. But the years I tend to think are weak, seem to be the ones that get the most love from others. So I'm sure there's plenty that I'm missing. But it feels like a transition year between the zenith of classic rock titans, and the forthcoming punk revolution

10/11: 1987
10/13: 2012
10/15: 1995

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[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Not that great of a year for me, but L'homme à la tête de chou is an absolute masterpiece, so it balances out.

1. Serge Gainsbourg – L'homme à la tête de chou
-
2. Irene Schweizer, Rudiger Carl & Louis Moholo – Messer
3. Pierrot Lunaire – Gudrun
4. Tom Waits – Small Change
5. The Residents – The Third Reich 'n Roll (you have to appreciate parodies, mashups, etc.)
6. Alice Cooper – Alice Cooper Goes to Hell
7. Harry Nilsson – Sandman / Harry Nilsson – ...That's the Way It Is
8. Klaatu – 3:47 EST
9. The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers
10. Frank Zappa – Zoot Allures

HMs:
Albert Marcœur – Album à colorier
Hermann Szobel – Szobel
Cluster – Sowiesoso
Jan Steele & John Cage – Voices and Instruments
Funkadelic – Hardcore Jollies / Funkadelic – Tales of Kidd Funkadelic
Electric Light Orchestra – A New World Record
Eddie and the Hot Rods – Teenage Depression
Rory Gallagher – Calling Card
Penguin Cafe Orchestra – Music From the Penguin Café
Fela Kuti (as Fela and Afrika 70) – Zombie / Fela Kuti – Yellow Fever
Ry Cooder – Chicken Skin Music
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band – Night Moves (worst album cover ever?)

Curiosities:
Joseph Byrd – Yankee Transcendoodle (Going from The United States of America, to The American Metaphysical Circus to... this?)
Michael Nyman – Decay Music
Cos – Viva Boma
Mort Garson – Mother Earth's Plantasia
Gong – Shamal
Parliament – The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein
Magma – Üdü Ẁüdü
The Beach Boys – 15 Big Ones (not a great album, but lots of fun)
George Harrison – Thirty Three & 1/3 (I put this here only for Crackerbox Palace, a song I love despite the fact that I hate the sound of the whole album)
Mama Béa Tekielski – La folle
Can – Flow Motion
Picchio dal Pozzo – Picchio dal Pozzo
Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak
Charlemagne Palestine – Strumming Music
Sloche – Stadaconé
Potemkine – Fœtus

 

[kihei]

Bruce Cockburn: Lord of the Starfields
Anne and Kate McGarrigle: Anne & Kate McGarrigle
Peter Frampton: Frampton Comes Alive
Genesis: A Trick of the Tail
Bob Marley: Rastaman Vibration
Led Zeppelin: Presence
David Bowie: Station to Station
Wishbone Ash: New England
Burning Spear: Garvey's Ghost
Jaco Pastorius: Jaco Pastorius

--a year with great depth

 

[Teemu]

Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon
The Wild Tchoupitoulas - The Wild Tchoupitoulas
The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers
The Ramones - The Ramones
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak

Great year to name an album after yourself

 

[Mescaleroman]

Chris Spedding - s/t
Gentle Giant - Interview
801 - 801 Live
David Bowie - Station to Station
Be Bop Deluxe - Modern Music / Sunburnt Finish
Genesis - Trick of the Tail
Sparks - Indiscreet
the Modern Lovers - s/t
10cc - How Dare You
Blue Oyster Cult - Agents of Fortune

HM
Bryan Ferry - Let's Stick Together
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Love's a Prima Donna
Max Webster - s/t

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

I’m a lover of the modern lovers

 

[frisco]

Other than Day At The Races, Hotel California, The Pretender:
From Elvis Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee-Elvis Presley
Bigger Than Both Of Us-Hall And Oates
Children Of The World-Bee Gees
Arrival-Abba
Crystal Ball-Styx

My Best-Carey

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

Bob Segar - Night Moves

 

[plank]

1. Hotel California - Eagles
2. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - AC/DC
3. s/t - Boston
4. Night Moves - Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
5. s/t - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
6. Jail Break - Thin Lizzy
7. Desire - Bob Dylan
8. Hejira - Joni Mitchell
9. Chicken Skin Music - Ry Cooder
10. Tejas - ZZ Top
11. s/t - Warren Zevon

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Another great year for music. Comments on some of my favourites:

Jaco Pastorius - "Jaco Pastorius". Probably the single greatest bass guitar showcase of all-time. The opener "Donna Lee" (a jazz standard, where Pastorius plays the rapid, complex lead on his bass) is simply astounding. The rest of the album isn't as strong but is always engaging, occasionally captivating.

Stanley Clarke - "School Days". Another album by a stellar jazz bassist. Comparing the two albums (and musicians), Pastorius is more talented and demonstrates more technical skill on his album (though Clarke is still highly proficient - just that Pastorius might be the greatest ever). But Clarke is better at composing songs so, taking the albums as a whole, I prefer this one.

Judas Priest - "Sad Wings of Destiny". A huge step forward from their debut - a heavier, meaner, and more focused album. The multi-part "Victim of Changes" is arguably their greatest song. Halford's vocal performance throughout this album is incredible.

Thin Lizzy - "Jailbreak". Their most famous album, and maybe their best. Consistency was never Thin Lizzy's strongest point, but in addition to the hard-hitting title track, the album features their most famous song ("The Boys Are Bock In Town") and a menacing, complex rocker ("Emerald" - my pick for the band's best song). Some of the lesser songs sound pretty sterile compared to live versions.

Rush - "2112". The 20+ minute title track (based on an Ayn Rand novel) is one of the band's best songs. In fact I'm not sure that any Rush album side (thinking back to the days of vinyl) beats it. But the second half of the album, although pleasant, is dull in comparison.

Led Zeppelin - "Presence". This is a very good album, and only gets forgotten because it's not as strong as the band's earlier efforts. Not that you'd know from listening to the album, but singer Robert Plant was recovering from a serious car accident while this was recorded. The opener, the lengthy, complex "Achilles Last Stand" has a grimly ironic name, as it's the last truly great song the band ever recorded.

Camel - "Moonmadness". Camel is an underrated progressive rock group. This is their third best album, but a clear step down from their two best (which we'll get to in other polls). There are many lengthy instrumental passages, but it's a bit too mellow for its own good at times.

Not sure if AC/DC's "High Voltage" counts (it was the band's first international release - though it mostly contains songs from the band's first two albums, both released only in 'Straya).

 

[WetcoastOrca]

A really strong year imo. Some of my all time favourite albums.
1. and 2 (tie) Bowie: Station to Station and Eagles: Hotel California
3. Jackson Browne: Pretender
4. Genesis: Trick of the Tail
5. Frampton Comes Alive
6. Boston s/t
7. Other: Bob Seger: Night Moves
8. ELO: A New World Record
9. Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life
10. Alan Parsons Project: Tales of Mystery and Imagination

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Boston.

Nothing ever sounded like that record before or since.

The brilliance of Tom Scholz and the singing of Brad Delp were perfect together.

Damn near every song on the album was a hit single

 

[Chili]

Great year for music

Hotel California
A Day at the Races
Frampton Comes Alive
Boston
Agents of Fortune

Added:

Al Stewart- Year of the Cat
Steve Miller Band-Fly Like an Eagle
Rush-All The World's a Stage
Styx-Crystal Ball
Doobie Brothers-Takin it to the Streets
Boz Scaggs-Silk Degrees
Bob Seger-Night Moves

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Great year for music

Hotel California
A Day at the Races
Frampton Comes Alive
Boston
Agents of Fortune

Added:

Al Stewart- Year of the Cat
Steve Miller Band-Fly Like an Eagle
Rush-All The World's a Stage
Styx-Crystal Ball
Doobie Brothers-Takin it to the Streets
Boz Scaggs-Silk Degrees
Bob Seger-Night Moves

Shoot! I forgot Steve Miller, Al Stewart and Boz Scaggs. All great choices.

 

[Perennial]

I was surprised to see Stevie Wonder wasn't dominating the poll, and then I remembered Thriller lost to an Iron Maiden album...

 

[Eisen]

I was surprised to see Stevie Wonder wasn't dominating the poll, and then I remembered Thriller lost to an Iron Maiden album...

And rightfully so.

 

[Roo Returns]

I'm glad so many people know Camel on this thread. I feel like at least in North America Camel and Van der Graaf Generator have been forgotten.

Jaco and Stanley with generational albums that featured bass as the main instrunment.

Presence is an excellent Led Zep record. I feel it gets crapped on because this is post accident Plant and he wasn't belting in a high register anymore but the songwriting and riffs on this album are tremendous.

Boston, I don't know what it is but that dude being an engineer and making his own studio, the guitar tones he got on that album do not sound like anything ever before or after as @BigBadBruins7708 said.

1976 in general was a weird year for music. I equate it to like a 1996 where the big bands from the beginning of the decade in this case Zep, The Who, Allman Brothers, The Faces, even Sabbath were all still there but beginning to run out of steam. And it was right before disco was about to take over the world and a lot of those bands like Cheap Trick, Kansas, Styxx, .38 Special would become "main eventers" pre-New Wave.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Of course, lyrics are a big part of Gainsbourg unreachable realms of genius, but still... sexy & hypnotic.