Was 1971 the high point of popular music?


All these albums were released in 1971.

"Imagine" by John Lennon

"Sticky Fingers" by Rolling Stones

"Blue" by Joni Mitchell

"Meddle" by Pink Floyd

"There's a Riot Going On" by Sly & The Family Stone

"Fragile" by Yes

"The Yes Album" by Yes

"Killer" by Alice Cooper

"Ram" by Paul McCartney

"Live at the Filmore East" by Allman Bros. Band

"Who's Next" by The Who

"What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye

"Hunky Dory" by David Bowie

"Aqualung" by Jethro Tull

"Master of Reality" by Black Sabbath

"Songs of Love and Hate" by Leonard Cohen

"Shaft" by Isaac Hayes

"Every Picture Tells a Story" by Rod Stewart

"Madman Across The Water" by Elton John

"LA Woman" by The Doors

"Led Zeppelin IV" by Led Zeppelin

"Tapestry" by Carole King

"Pearl" by Janis Joplin

"Live-Evil" by Miles Davis

" Journey in Satchidananda" by Alice Coltrane

"Teaser and teh Firecat" by Cat Stevens

"Deuce" by Rory Gallagher

"Santana III" by Santana

"Weather Report" by Weather Report

"Tupelo Honey" by Van Morrison

"Surfs Up" by The Beach Boys

"John Prine" by John Prine

"Wild Life" by Wings

"Where I'm Coming From" by Stevie Wonder

 

 

 

 

 

 

128x128tony1954

@tony1954

yeah, I read your question. And the list of albums to. And I understood it to mean you’re saying there will never be a year where music was good as in 1971.

Am I missing something?

@curiousjim 

"And I understood it to mean you’re saying there will never be a year where music was good as in 1971. Am I missing something?"

Yes you are.

I said that, up to now, "in my opinion", 1971 had the highest number of great albums.

I never said there would never be a better year ever.

 

@roxy54 

My reference to "a brief moment in time" was intended to be a little broader than 1971 -- perhaps a 20 year period (+/-) from the fifties to the early seventies. I am in agreement with you that some of the pioneers of popular music had produced their greatest works and did, in fact, hit the exit button (or, died) before 1971. My premise is that there was a unique time in history when a massive quantity of participants in the art of making music could devote nearly 100% of the brain power into the production of such. Thus, the suberb examples you listed for 1971 ... and before.

As long as somebody thinks 'their' year is the best, then it is.

For them. I'm 72 and have been tired of much 60's and 70's music for decades now. I try to keep up with what is going on currently, to greater or lesser success. My favorite genre tends to be post-punk style, from any decade, but that's just me. If there's music out there that I don't know about or that I don't happen to care for, that's on me, not the artists involved. As long as people make music that other people enjoy and get something out of, it's all good to me....