Favourite albums of the last 4 decades

[altruistic.lemon]

So what are your favourite albums of the 70s through to the end of the noughties? I'm excluding classical because they're timeless.

Mine are:

1970s - CSNY "Déja vu". Only caught up with this recently, but what an album! You get some true greats plus Neil Young. Best tracks "Almost Cut My Hair" and "Helpless". Honourable mention to "Teach your children".

1980s - Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms". Probably not their best record, but the title track is outstanding, and it's the album that launched CD in many places.

1990s - Come on! Has to be the Cave man - "The Boatman's Call" Nick at his best.

2000s - White Stripes "White Blood Cells" - lucky to see them on their first tour, brilliant guitarist, puts Mr Page to shame!

Best of the decades: "Déja vu".

Tried to get AC/DC in there but, hey, some you lose.

 

[matthewpiano]

Ooh, very difficult!!

Might change depending on what day you ask the question. Today:

1970s - Barclay James Harvest: Everyone Is Everybody Else. Timeless, classic album with some incredible songwriting on it. I never fail to enjoy listening to this album. One of the greatest bands the UK has ever produced and totally under-rated.

1980s - All About Eve: All About Eve.

1990s - U2: Achtung Baby. IMO this is U2's finest moment with some great songwriting and a much stronger sound than some of their other stuff.

2000s - Midlake: The Courage of Others. Beautiful, totally involving music. Can't wait for their forthcoming new album.

 

[matthewpiano]

PS altruistic, I agree with you about how great Deja Vu is. Always loved it. Playing it now. 🙂

 

[stevebrock]

This is mine

70s Pink Floyd - DSOTM or Led Zeppelin - IV

80s Human Laeague - Dare

90s Massive Attack - Blue Lines or Leftfield - Leftism or DM - Violator - I actually think the 90s was great for music

00s mmmmm i dunno!

 

[busb]

"Before and after Science" Eno

 

[matt49]

This is based on the number of times I've listened to stuff (courtesy of iTunes on my PC). It is therefore a statistically accurate and completely objective measure of how good the music is. 😉

1970s - Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run

1980s - Tom Waits, Rain Dogs

1990s - Radiohead, OK Computer

2000s - Bruce Springsteen, The Rising

EDIT I wanted to include some Joy Division, New Order and Talking Heads, but no room at the inn.

 

[steve_1979]

1970 - Supertramp - Breakfast in America

1980 - Bob Marley - Legend

1990 - Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving

2000 - Foo Fighters - Greatest Hits

Picking one for the 1970's was tricky. I do listen to a lot of 70's music but mostly on greatest hits compilations rather than original albums.

 

[stevebrock]

o god I have so many fave albums - just love music I guess like most peeps on here!

 

[marou]

1970s Reeling in the Years - Steely Dan
1980s Thriller - Michael Jackson
1990s Together Alone - Crowded House
2000s Black To Black - Amy Winehouse

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Ooh, very difficult!!

Might change depending on what day you ask the question. Today:

1970s - Barclay James Harvest: Everyone Is Everybody Else. Timeless, classic album with some incredible songwriting on it. I never fail to enjoy listening to this album. One of the greatest bands the UK has ever produced and totally under-rated.

1980s - All About Eve: All About Eve.

1990s - U2: Achtung Baby. IMO this is U2's finest moment with some great songwriting and a much stronger sound than some of their other stuff.

2000s - Midlake: The Courage of Others. Beautiful, totally involving music. Can't wait for their forthcoming new album.

Thought long and hard about Achtung Baby, a great album. In the end it was because U2 can be a bit samey (saw an OK, but not stunning concert a couple of years ago) that made me choose something else.

Don't know much about Barclay James Harvest, will have to give them a listen.

 

[matt49]

2000 - Foo Fighters - Greatest Hits

+ 1

Just putting it on now.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

1970 - Supertramp - Breakfast in America

1980 - Bob Marley - Legend

1990 - Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving

2000 - Foo Fighters - Greatest Hits

Picking one for the 1970's was tricky. I do listen to a lot of 70's music but mostly on greatest hits compilations rather than original albums.

But you picked two greatest hits collections for 80s and 00s.

And most of those Marley tracks are from the 70s.

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

Get him told, BBB.

I agree with the non-comps rule. They aren't really albums are they?

My list:

70s: Katy Lied - Steely Dan

80s: The Queen Is Dead (narrowly pips Meat and Strangeways) - The Smiths

90s: Behaviour - Pet Shop Boys

00s: At Dawn - My Morning Jacket.

Then again I can think of stacks of alternatives for each of the above selections.

 

[steve_1979]

But you picked two greatest hits collections for 80s and 00s.

And most of those Marley tracks are from the 70s.

:doh:

Ok I'll try again.

1970 - Supertramp - Breakfast in America

1980 - Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast

1990 - Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving

2000 - Caravan Palace - Caravan Palace

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

But you picked two greatest hits collections for 80s and 00s.

And most of those Marley tracks are from the 70s.

:doh:

Ok I'll try again.

1970 - Supertramp - Breakfast in America

1980 - Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast

1990 - Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving

2000 - Caravan Palace - Caravan Palace

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Virtually impossible, but I'll try to base it on the albums I've played more than any others.

70s - THE RUTS - The Crack

80s - TEARDROP EXPLODES - Kilimanjaro

90s - OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL - Dusk At Cubist Castle

00s - ? (Don't think I bought any music other than lots of 2nd hand vinyl from car boots and charity shops, and funk/soul re-issues)

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Get him told, BBB.

I agree with the non-comps rule. They aren't really albums are they?

My list:

70s: Katy Lied - Steely Dan

80s: The Queen Is Dead (narrowly pips Meat and Strangeways) - The Smiths

90s: Behaviour - Pet Shop Boys

00s: At Dawn - My Morning Jacket.

Then again I can think of stacks of alternatives for each of the above selections.

If greatest hits were allowed, we'd be on the first rung to anarchy.

I've changed my 90s choice to OTC, I think you know it's the right thing to do Charlie.

 

[CnoEvil]

70s Genesis "Selling England by the pound"

80s Dire Straits "Making Movies"

90s Santana "Supernatural"

00s Joe Bonamassa "Sloe Gin"

10s JB / Beth Hart "Don't Explain"

This could all change by tomorrow.

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

Get him told, BBB.

I agree with the non-comps rule. They aren't really albums are they?

My list:

70s: Katy Lied - Steely Dan

80s: The Queen Is Dead (narrowly pips Meat and Strangeways) - The Smiths

90s: Behaviour - Pet Shop Boys

00s: At Dawn - My Morning Jacket.

Then again I can think of stacks of alternatives for each of the above selections.

If greatest hits were allowed, we'd be on the first rung to anarchy.

I've changed my 90s choice to OTC, I think you know it's the right thing to do Charlie.

Anarchy, OTC and PSB - now that's what I call music!

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

There were too many great albums in the 90s, Spiritualized - Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space is awesome too.

Not PSB though.

 

[toyota man]

70s Genesis "Selling England by the pound"

80s Dire Straits "Making Movies"

90s Santana "Supernatural"

00s Joe Bonamassa "Sloe Gin"

10s JB / Beth Hart "Don't Explain"

This could all change by tomorrow.

Good choice"s

 

[Gravenhurst]

This is a tough one!

70s- Neil Young – Everybody knows this is nowhere Neil’s best I think just ahead of ‘after the goldrush’ as others of mentioned though ‘Déjà vu’ is a great album.

80s- REM – Murmur Anyone who has dismissed modern REM albums needs to give their first a listen, lovely melodic bass and absolutely beautiful jangly guitar

90s – Talk Talk – Laughing Stock if you haven’t heard it please give it a go, its stunning! also the stories surround the recording sessions are pretty good too.

00s – Mystery Jets – Making Dens – Mixing prog and pop has never sounded so good, what could have been if subsequent albums had have followed in the same style.

 

[Macspur]

Sorry, just can't name only one for each decade, so here goes;

70's Queen, Night at the Opera, Joni Mitchell, Ladies of the Canyon, James Taylor, Sweet baby James

80's Luther Van Dross, Forever, for always, for love. Sting, Nothing like the sun. Peter Gabriel, So.

90's Everything but the girl, Idlewild. Beth Nielsen Chapman, Sand and water. Alison Krauss, So long, so wrong.

00's Coldplay, Viva La Vida. Melody Gardot, My one and only thrill. Cara Dillon, self titled.

10's Laura Veirs, July Flame, Angus&Julia Stone, Down the way, Lauren Mann and the fairly odd folk, Over land and sea.

 

[Gravenhurst]

70s Genesis "Selling England by the pound"

Great album!

Think the overall madness of 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway' would just edge ahead as my favourite Genesis album though.

mmmm love the prog

 

[tonky]

crosby stills and nash - first album - just timeless.

Deaf School first album- a Liverpool band - mid 70s art house pop/rock - still fresh.

Simple Minds - the Glittering Prize - a sort of best of - superb

More recently - Raising Sand - alison krauss robert plant

O Damien Rice

that's just for starters - tonky