# You can only listen to music from a single year. Which year do pick? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2011, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243 "2011-12-06T07:51:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/61 "2011-12-09T12:00:38Z")
I might as well pick 1974. It was a great year for Art / Glam Rock: Sparks – Kimono My House _and_ Propaganda Queen – Queen II & Sheer Heart attack David Bowie – Diamond Dogs Sweet – Sweet Fanny Adams _and_ Desolation Boulevard Roxy Music – Country Life Also, more than decent for Prog Rock: Gentle Giant – The Power and the Glory King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black _and_ Red Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Jethro Tull – Warchild for Prog Pop: Supertramp – Crime of the Century Electric Light Orchestra – Eldorado for Hard Rock: Deep Purple – Burn _and_ Stormbringer Bad Company - Bad Company Montrose – Paper Money Blue Oyster Cult – Secret Treaties Rush –Rush Budgie – In for the Kill Nazareth – Rampant For Funk: Parliament – Up for the Down Stroke Funkadelic - Standing on the Verge of Getting It On Graham Central Station - Release Yourself Kool & the Gang – Wild and Peaceful _and_ Light of Worlds Earth, Wind & Fire – Open Our Eyes and for: Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic Carole King – Wrap Around Joy The Hollies – The Hollies (with one of the greatest ballads ever: The Air That I Breathe) Elton John – Caribou Mott the Hoople - The Hoople etc. Granted, the three-year period from ’73 to ’75 would really make me set for life, since many great artists didn’t release new material in ’73 yet did in ’74 and / or ‘75, and most guys on the above list put out many more classics in this brief time period. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/62 "2011-12-09T14:04:31Z")
Gah! How could I forget: 10 cc - Sheet Music (Art Rock) Yes - Relayer (Prog) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/63 "2011-12-09T14:40:32Z")
**1975** if for no other reason than Zeppelin alone Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow Rolling Stones - Made in the Shade Rolling Stones - Metamorphosis Deep Purple - Come Taste the Band Queen - A Night at the Opera Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic Cat Stephens - Greatest Hits Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac ZZ Top - Fandango Yes - Yesterdays David Bowie - Young Americans Lynyrd Skynrd - Nuthin’ Fancy Eagles - One of these Nights Heart - Dreamboat Annie Neil Young - Tonight’s the Night Foghat - Fool for the City Frank Zappa - One Size Fits All Head East - Flat as a Pancake The Who - Who by Numbers Kansas - Song for America Nazareth - Hair of the Dog Jethro Tull - Minstrel in the Galley Steely Dan - Katy Lied Doobie Bros - Stampede Elton John - Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy Pablo Cruise - Pable Cruise McCartney & Wings - Venus and Mars Rush - Fy by Night John Lennon - Rock n Roll Stephen Stills - Stills Chicago - Chicago VIII War - Why Can’t We Be Friends? Eric Burdon - Stop Roger Daltry - Ride a Rock Horse Ritchie Blackmore - Rainbow Allman Bros - Win, Lose or Draw Grateful Dead - Blues for Allah Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent Montrose - Montrose John Cale - Slow Dazzle Eric Clapton - There’s One in Every Crowd Various artists - Tommy soundtrack Bad Company - Straight Shooter Bob Seger - Beautiful Loser Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Zuma Patti Smith - Horses Lou Reed - Coney Island Baby Bob Marley and The Wailers - Live ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/64 "2011-12-09T14:56:51Z")
Meant to add (1975)… Tommy Bolin - Teaser Kansas - Masque John Lennon - Shaved Fish America - History: America’s Greatest Hits The Band - Northern Lights - Southern Cross ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/65 "2011-12-09T15:02:20Z")
Yeah … I want to change my vote to 1975. Or 1979. Or 1967. Or back to 1974. Just keep the 80’s as far away from me as possible. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/66 "2011-12-09T15:59:30Z")
I’m going to join **rikc** and **pulykamell** picking 1979. 1979, and going back and forth a few years. was the Golden Age of popular music. Rock was still going strong. Motown R&B and Soul were still strong. Disco was still with us. Punk, Ska and New Wave were exploding. Reggae was just getting big in the west. 1979 was also the beginning of the Hip Hop era, with the release of _Rapper’s Delight._ Some more great albums from 1979 _London Calling_ - The Clash _Van Halen II_ - Van Halen _Look Sharp!_ - Joe Jackson _The Secret Life of Plants_ - Stevie Wonder _The Kids Are Alright_ - The Who _Bad Girls_ - Donna Summer _It’s Alive_ - The Ramones _Labour of Lust_ - Nick Lowe _Candy-O_ - The Cars _Live Killers_ - Queen _Mystic Man_ - Peter Tosh _I Am_ - Earth, Wind and Fire _Rust Never Sleeps_ - Neil Young and Crazy Horse _The B52’s_ - The B52’s _Fear of Music_ - Talking Heads _Off the Wall_ - Michael Jackson _Drums and Wires_ - XTC _In Through the Out Door_ - Led Zeppelin _The Raven_ - The Stranglers _Tusk_ - Fleetwood Mac _The Long Run_ - The Eagles _Survival_ - Bob Marley and The Wailers _Regatta de Blanc_ - The Police _The Fine Art of Surfacing_ - The Boomtown Rats _Damn the Torpedoes_ - Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers _Eat to the Beat_ - Blondie _Specials_ - The Specials _The Wall_ - Pink Floyd _One Step Beyond_ - Madness _The Great Rock and Roll Swindle_ - The Sex Pistols _Sheik Yerbouti_ and _Joes’s Garage, Act I_ - Frank Zappa _The Best of Chic_ - Chic _Walking on Sunshine_ - Eddy Grant _Morning Dance_ - Spyro Gyra ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/67 "2011-12-09T16:12:30Z")
1999 (and yes I was in high school), solely because that was the year my favorite album of all time was released: Guster’s “Lost and Gone Forever.” But I’d get a bunch of other favorites (including Counting Crows’ “This Desert Life” and The Foo Fighters’ “There Is Nothing Left to Lose”), so I think I could manage just fine. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/68 "2011-12-10T01:34:23Z")
\*\*gatorslap \*\*has me wishing I’d picked '91. I picked 2000. Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica Godspeed You Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists… Radiohead - Kid A Dandy Warhols - 13 Tales from Urban Bohemia Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out Shellac - 1000 Hurts Clinic - Internal Wrangler Pearl Jam - Binaural The For Carnation - s/t Six Organs of Admittance - Dust and Chimes I like the variety of this year and it’s got 3 of my all time favorites. With more thought, I’d probably end up going with a few other years instead ('91, '94, '95, '99, '04, '06). Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![svd678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@svd678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/svd678)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/69 "2011-12-10T05:38:36Z")
Since pop music was pretty far into terminal decline by 1960, prior is my choice. That’s why I mostly listen to classical. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/70 "2011-12-10T05:48:44Z")
> [@koeeoaddi](#): > > 1. Clearly. This. I remember that year distinctly, and it was so much more than the “Summer of Love” . . . due, in large part to the music. No other year can even come close. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243/71 "2011-12-10T07:17:27Z")
1982: Kate Bush: _The Dreaming_ Prince: _1999_ Roxy Music: _Avalon_ Midnight Oil: _10-1_ Dire Straits: _Love Over Gold_ You’ve also got great tracks from 1982 albums by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Peter Gabriel, Fleetwood Mac, Toto, etc., as well as Michael Jackson’s _Thriller_ (which defined the '80s to a large degree). 1981 and 1983 were also very good years with regard to my tastes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-only-listen-to-music-from-a-single-year-which-year-do-pick/605243.md?page=3)