Impossible to pick a peak. Lotta good years in the 60s through 80s. You got the Vietnam protest era, Good bubble gum, Disco (yes a lot of it is good - just too much at one time), especially AOR, MOR, New Wave. Good times!

Impressive list but the best year was 1976 with the release of 2112 ... sorry, close though 

through 80s

@elrod

seriously?

what about 80’s music will live forever? culturally more about silly comedy movies than any music. no lasting musical culture came from those years....compared to the 50’s, 60’s or 70’s.

’Thriller’ and ’M-TV’ were the high points......which is relatively a pretty low bar for greatness.

apologies if these were your high school years and so it’s personal. my kids were in H.S. in the 80’s and early 90’s and they preferred my 60’s and 70’s rock to their contemporary 80’s music.

they did like Grunge and Nirvana, a local Seattle band,. but that was 90’s.

Fifty years from now, they might be saying that about 2023. 

Here's a list by the way,

I'll agree that for us old folks that 1971 might be the most prolific year for the most popular albums by the groups at the time , ( you forgot my favorite of all time )          David Crosby " If I Could Only Remember My Name " .                                               Out of the 34 albums mentioned I have 17 of them and saw 4 of them in concert .

But you must admit the stuartk has a point .