This year we have the beginning of the punk/underground placing high on the poll (in the form of Horses), which is a trend that will become more and more pervasive, especially when we get into the '80s. We also get a lot of rock royalty - Springsteen makes his first appearance, Bob Dylan places twice (as does Neil Young), and even The Who makes the top 15, though, like the Stones in last year’s poll, it’s with a pretty awful album. A transitional year - I’m interested to see how people vote (I went with Roxy Music, myself).
A lot of good albums that year not listed in the poll. Jeff Beck’s “Blow by Blow,” Tom Waits’ “Nighthawks at the Diner,” Guy Clark’s debut alum “Old No. 1,” Emmy Lou Harris’ debut “Elite Hotel,” the first Fleetwood Mac album to feature Buckingham and Nicks (“Fleetwood Mac”), and “Wish You Were Here,” by Pink Floyd.
At the end of the day, my vote goes to Dylan’s “Blood on the Tracks.”
I’m going to throw a little curveball here (in regards to my usual tastes), and go with Springsteen. That is such a wonderful album and I’ve never gotten tired of hearing it, despite (or possibly because of) a certain drinking establishment I frequented multiple times a week as a 20-something having it nearly as a permanent soundtrack.
Born To Run would have just beat out Horses for my #2 pick, but the reason it didn’t make #1 for me is that I consider it a classic example of a “great songs plus boring filler” album.
There’s only 8 songs on the album, and at least four of them are ‘great songs’. Even if the other four are all ‘filler’, that’s an outstanding achievement.
As tempting as it was to go with either of the Band releases, or either of the Roxy Music releases, or Natty Dread, or Tonight’s the Night, I had to ultimately go with Willie’s Red Headed Stranger, which is really hot-damn excellent. And it’s pleasing to see that mine is the first vote it’s received.
I read no. 15, and teared up. I can’t think of anything from this year that I wish was listed instead.
See, for me, there’s not a single song I skip over on that album. Once I hear “Thunder Road,” I kind of have to listen to the rest of the album. The only song I consider filler, maybe, is “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.” (And many consider that a good song. It just doesn’t do it for me.) I don’t think I’ve ever played that track on its own. But every other song? Yes, sometimes I want to hear them in isolation.
Eh - I can think of plenty of albums with a better great-to-filler ratio. As I said, it would be my #2 choice, so I’m a fan, but it does get dragged down a bit by the more lackluster songs.
Out of curiosity, which are the four undisputed great songs? I have no idea what the critical consensus is on this album. “Thunder Road” and “Born to Run” are the obvious ones, but I’m not sure what the next two would be. For me, probably “She’s the One” and “Night.”
Queen’s “A Night At The Opera” came out this year, but for this poll I went with Steely Dan.
Queen’s “A Night At The Opera” came out in 75’, but for this poll I chose Steely Dan.
Actually, doing a little research, it seems to be “Tenth Avenue Freezeout” and “Jungleland.” I’m somewhat surprised at how well “Tenth Avenue Freezout” is received. I kinda find that song boring.
There’s such a wide variety of styles here that it’s almost not meaningful to pick a “best”. But I’m going to go with Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks. I think it’s his most accessible album and has a huge number of certifiable classics on it.
I’m apparently in the same club as a lot of others in being ambivalent about “Born to Run”. Two absolutely classic turn-up-the-volume-on-the-radio songs, but a bunch of other songs that don’t do much for me.
Those are the other two in my book.
Personally, I think *Jungleland *is the second best song on the album, after Thunder Road.
Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine.
Turns out 1975 was a better year than I thought. Blood on the Tracks, followed by Katy Lied.
Very strong competition here—wow, what a year for music!—but my choice had to be Patti Smith’s Horses. She transformed what rock music was permanently with that album. It’s one of those rare epoch-changing albums after which things are never quite the same again. Besides, it’s terrific kickass music and poetry. That Patti could excel above all the formidable massive excellence massed here really says a lot.
For me, it came down to Toots and the Maytals, Neil Young and Crazy Horse (Zuma, which includes “Cortez the Killer”), and Patti Smith.
Voted for Patti Smith, because Horses is such a complete, distinctive, influential album.
I had forgotten that Blood on the Tracks was so great – clearly Dylan’s best collection of songs in the 1970s, or anytime since.
I still would pick Horses, but it would be close.