Music: Best Albums of the Year Series: 1978

[Saturated Fats]

1965: The Beatles - Rubber Soul
1966: The Beatles - Revolver
1967: The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
1968: The Beatles - The White Album
1969: The Beatles - Abbey Road
1970: Black Sabbath - Paranoid
1971: Led Zeppelin - IV
1972: Neil Young - Harvest
1973: Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
1974: Supertramp - Crime of the Century
1975: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
1976: Eagles - Hotel California
1977: Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
1979: Pink Floyd - The Wall
1980: AC/DC - Back in Black
1981: Rush - Moving Pictures
1982: Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
1984: Metallica - Ride the Lightning
1985: Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
1986: Metallica - Master of Puppets
1987: Guns 'n Roses - Appetite for Destruction
1988: Metallica - ...And Justice for All
1989: Pixies - Doolittle
1991: Nirvana - Nevermind
1992: Alice in Chains - Dirt
1995: Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
1996: (TIE) Soundgarden - Down on the Upside // Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire
1997: (TIE) Radiohead - OK Computer // Foo Fighters - The Color and the Shape
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
2001: The Strokes - Is This It
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
2006: Tool - 10,000 Days
2007: Radiohead - In Rainbows
2009: Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
2010: The National - High Violet
2011: No definitive winner
2012: (TIE) Kendrick Lamar - good kidd, M.A.A.D. city // Deftones - koi no yokan
2014: Behemoth - The Satanist
2015: Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly

1993: Nirvana - In Utero (15 votes)

2nd Place: Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (10 votes)
3rd Place: Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (9 votes)
4th Place (TIE): A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders (8 votes)
4th Place (TIE): Pearl Jam - Vs.

Not at all surprising, and probably deserved. This was a very strong year for music in general, and it's cool to see some diversity of thought and genre at the top. Nonetheless, In Utero joins Nevermind as a champion of its year, and brings us closer to the finish line.

I had a bit of a struggle putting together a list of 30 for 1978, as it seems a bit of a lean year. Not sure what I think the favourite is heading into the poll, but there are a couple that stand out as HF standard-bearers.

The remaining years, in order (expect a poll every 2-3 days):
2003
1983
1990
2008
2013
1994
2016 - Now
1900 - 1964

Click to read more...

 

[Teemu]

Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy
The Cars - The Cars
Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town
Joe Ely - Honk Tonk Masquerade

Lean for me, too

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

That's really weak...

1. Various Artists – No New York (produced by Brian Eno!)
2. The Residents – Not Available
3. Kondo, Kaiser & Oswald – Moose And Salmon / John Oswald & Henry Kaiser – Improvised
4. Bernard Parmegiani – De natura sonorum
5. Michel Chion – Requiem
6. Pere Ubu – The Modern Dance / Pere Ubu – Dub Housing
7. Cecil Taylor – The Cecil Taylor Unit
8. The Clash – Give ’Em Enough Rope
9. Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale – Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale
10. Ornette Coleman – Body Meta

HMs:
The Units – Ready For the House
Alice Cooper – From the Inside (weird softer album from Alice, very much uneven, but with very high points – Inmates (We're All Crazy) is such a fun stupid song)
ZNR – Traité de mécanique populaire
Tom Waits – Blue Valentine
Ryuichi Sakamoto – Thousand Knives of Ryuichi Sakamoto (Wish I could put this higher, it's absolutely brilliant, but some of the electro sonorities just aren't for me)
Jasun Martz & The Neoteric Orchestra – The Pillory
Brian Eno – Ambient 1: Music for Airports (I'm not necessarily a huge Eno fan, but this is the first album I heard from him, and I still think it might be his best)
Public Image Ltd – Public Image: First Issue
Hans-Joachim Roedelius – Durch die Wüste
Nébu – Nébu
Magazine – Real Life
Plume Latraverse – All Dressed
Elvis Costello – This Year's Model
Lou Reed – Street Hassle
Fela Anikulapo Kuti and the Africa 70 – Shuffering and Shmiling

Curiosities:
The Mad – Eyeball/I Hate Music (ok, it's only two songs, but it's Screaming Mad George! This first recording has been extended into The 1978 EP in 1999)
Eugene Chadbourne & John Zorn – School
Steve Reich – Music for 18 Musicians
Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Kraftwerk – The Man-Machine
Art Bears – Hopes And Fears
Shawn Phillips – Transcendance
Claude Léveillée – Black Sun (sampled by Kanye West as per YouTube comments... really surprising, but kind of cool)
Wire – Chairs Missing
X-Ray Spex – Germfree Adolescents

 

[kook10]

Others -

Burning Spear - Social Living
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Stranger In Town
Johnny Thunders - So Alone
Siouxsie & The Banshees - The Scream
The Jam - All Mod Cons

 

[Chili]

Some great debut albums...

Outlandos d'Amours
The Cars
Pieces of Eight
Parallel Lines
Some Girls
And Then There Were Three

Added

Dire Straits-Dire Straits
Al Stewart-Time Passages
Toto-Toto
Doobie Brothers-Minute by Minute
Neil Young-Comes a Time
Billy Joel-52nd Street
Foreigner-Double Vision
The Alan Parsons Project-Pyramid
Wonderful Grand Band-Wonderful Grand Band

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

other:

Joe Walsh - But Seriously Folks
Gerry Rafferty - City to City
Bob Marley - Kaya

 

[Cas]

Hemispheres is the best Rush album.

Stained Class is the best Judas Priest album.

Long Live Rock 'n' Roll is a very good album.

Also worth mentioning: Killing Machine by Judas Priest and the 1978 demo by Angel Witch (clocking in at nearly 40 minutes and with a reasonably high quality recording, this demo feels like a really raw album, and every song is excellent).

I'm going to go with Stained Class.

 

[plank]

'78 was a damn good year!

1. s/t - The Cars
2. Darkness on the Edge of Town - Bruce Springsteen
3. s/t - Van Halen
4. Waiting for Columbus - Little Feat
5. But Seriously Folks - Joe Walsh
6. Together Forever - The Marshall Tucker Band
7. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones
8. Who are You - The Who
9. Stranger in Town - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
10. You're Gonna Get It! - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
11. Move it on Over - George Thorogood & The Destroyers
12. Powerage - AC/DC
13. Comes a Time - Neil Young
14. Flyin' Shoes - Townes Van Zandt
15. Excitable Boy - Warren Zevon
16. Bruised Orange - John Prine
17. s/t - Dire Straits
18. s/t - David Gilmour
19. Outlandos d'Amour - The Police
20. Dog & Butterfly - Heart
21. Shakedown Street - Grateful Dead
22. Double Vision - Foreigner
23. Don't Look Back - Boston
24. Backless - Eric Clapton
25. The Earthshaker - Koko Taylor

 

[Mescaleroman]

Whoops , missed my favorite album of the year.

John Otway - Deep and Meaningless

the Jam - All Mod Cons
the Stranglers - Black & White
the Only Ones - s/t
Chris Spedding - Guitar Graffiti
Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town
the Clash - Give 'Em Enough Rope
the Boomtown Rats - A Tonic For the Troops
Peter Gabriel - s/t ( second one )
Gentle Giant - Giant for a Day
X Ray Specs - Germfree Adolescents
Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses

 

[kihei]

Brian Eno: Music for Airports
Rolling Stones: Some Girls
The Who: Who Are You?
The Clash: Give em' Enough Rope
Peter Gabriel: Peter Gabriel
Police: Outlandos d'amour
Dire Straits: Dire Straits
Elvis Costello and the Attractions: This Years Model
Talking Heads: More Songs about Buildings and Food
The Cars: The Cars/The Jam: All Mod Cons/Kraftwerk: Man Machine/Bob Marley: Kayla; Genesis: And Then There Were Three/Blondie: Parallel Lines/Public Image, Ltd: First Issue/Boomtown Rats: A Tonic for the Troops/Neil Young: Comes a Time/Wire: Chairs Missing

Absolute monster year--the best of several worlds

 

[MoreOrr]

I think 1978 was an excellent year. I'll list my 5 favorites:

#1 Excitable Boy - Warren Zevon (I'd say it's the best album.)

#2 Midnight Express (soundtrack) - Giorgio Moroder (Also probably the best movie of the year.)

#3 City to City - Gerry Rafferty (But "Baker Street" is my favorite song of the year, if not of the decade.)

#4 Pyramid - Alan Parsons Project (I like the whole album, but no particular song really stands out.)

#5 Flash and the Pan - Flash and the Pan (I hate having to put this as low as #5; I love Flash and the Pan.)

I decided that I'd like to give HM to 4 more:

#6 Dire Straits - Dire Straits
#7 The Kick Inside - Kate Bush
#8 Pieces of Eight - Styx
#9 Time Passages - Al Stewart

 

[reckoning]

I think Darkness On The Edge Of Town is Springsteen's best and most consistent album. It doesn't have the famous classic rock anthems that some of his other releases do, but I think he's more effective when he dials it down a notch and just writes and sings from the heart.

Top 5 Albums
1. Darkness On The Edge Of Town - Bruce Springsteen
2. The Kick Inside - Kate Bush
3. Some Girls - Rolling Stones
4. Easter - Patti Smith
5. Dog And Butterfly - Heart


Top 5 Songs
1. "Moving/Saxophone Song" - Kate Bush
2. "Prove It All Night" - Bruce Springsteen
3. "Pump It Up" - Elvis Costello
4. "Werewolves Of London" - Warren Zevon
5. "Promises" - Eric Clapton

 

[frisco]

Other than Pieces Of Eight, Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Parallel Lines:
Infinity-Journey
Son Of A Son Of A Sailor-Jimmy Buffett
Grease Soundtrack-ONJ and Various
Double Vision-Foreigner
Shadow Dancing-Andy Gibb
Jazz-Queen
The Gambler-Kenny Rogers
Dream Of A Child-Burton Cummings

My Best-Carey

 

[plank]

I think Darkness On The Edge Of Town is Springsteen's best and most consistent album. It doesn't have the famous classic rock anthems that some of his other releases do, but I think he's more effective when he dials it down a notch and just writes and sings from the heart.

Top 5 Albums
1. Darkness On The Edge Of Town - Bruce Springsteen
2. The Kick Inside - Kate Bush
3. Some Girls - Rolling Stones
4. Easter - Patti Smith
5. Dog And Butterfly - Heart


Top 5 Songs
1. "Moving/Saxophone Song" - Kate Bush
2. "Prove It All Night" - Bruce Springsteen
3. "Pump It Up" - Elvis Costello
4. "Werewolves Of London" - Warren Zevon
5. "Promises" - Eric Clapton

"Promises" is such a great song, ripe for a cover from a current artist.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

I agree that 1978 seems to be a weaker year - a transitional period.

My favourite album from 1978, by a wide margin, is "Live and Dangerous" by Thin Lizzy. It's rare that a live album renders a big chunk of a band's studio output obsolete, but that's the case here. The songs are played with so much passion and energy, that many of the studio versions seem lifeless in comparison. But I think we're supposed to exclude live albums.

I voted for "Stained Class" by Judas Priest, but it's really a vote for "Killing Machine" (also released that year). "Stained Class" features "Beyond the Realms of Death" - one of the greatest heavy metal songs of all time - but the rest of the album doesn't do much for me. "Killing Machine" doesn't have that one knockout punch, but it's more listenable from start to finish.

 

[Cas]

I voted for "Stained Class" by Judas Priest, but it's really a vote for "Killing Machine" (also released that year). "Stained Class" features "Beyond the Realms of Death" - one of the greatest heavy metal songs of all time - but the rest of the album doesn't do much for me. "Killing Machine" doesn't have that one knockout punch, but it's more listenable from start to finish.

Interesting, though understandable. I think if I had to rank the songs off Stained Class and Killing Machine, it'd look something like this:

Stained Class
Running Wild
Saints in Hell
Hell Bent for Leather
Delivering the Goods
Killing Machine
Exciter
White Heat, Red Hot
Beyond the Realms of Death
The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown) (I know it wasn't technically on Killing Machine, sue me)
Savage
Rock Forever
Before the Dawn
Better by You, Better Than Me
Invader
Heroes End
Burnin' Up
Evil Fantasies
Evening Star
Take on the World

 

[Sleemans]

The Police - Outlandos d'Amour
The Cars - The Cars
Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town
The Rolling Stones - Some Girls
Dire Straits - Dire Straits
Van Halen - Van Halen

 

[WetcoastOrca]

A deep year. Just missing the usual all time great albums imo but lots of great depth.
1. Gerry Rafferty: City to City
2. The Cars
3. Warren Zevon: Excitable Boy
4. Kate Bush: The Kick Inside
5. The Rolling Stones: Some Girls
6. Elvis Costello: This Years Model
7. Springsteen: Darkness on the Edge of Town
8. Styx: Pieces of Eight
9. Dire Straights
10. Blondie: Parallel Lines
11. Police: Outlandos d’Amour
12. Foreigner: Double Vision
13. Billy Joel: 52nd Street.
I agree with the poster above that Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty is a monster song. My all time favourite saxophone solo.

 

[Roo Returns]

I came here to ensure people read about Japan's first two albums. Adolescent Sex and Obscured Alternatives.

This was a tremendous year. All the post punk and new wave stuff was heating up, classic rock from the beginning of the decade still doing its thing. The whole Cheap Trick/Kansas/Supertramp/Styxx/Journey/.38 Special/Boston era.

Funk and Disco still going strong. And we barely touched upon jazz and fusion.