1971 was the best year ever for rock and roll

So says this Englishman, while promoting his new book. I heard him on NPR the other day and figured his premise might be of interest to you. Obviously, it's a subjective argument, and I usually hate these types of debates, but the guy builds a strong case.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/1971-ultimate-year-rock-music-7689797

What did he have to say about Brexit?

1971’s Best Rock Albums

Top 10 Albums Of 1971

Turtleneck wrote:What did he have to say about Brexit?

They didn't cover it. I'll shoot an email to LibPR to ask if they'd bring him back for one more question.

this is impossible since Greetings From Asbury Park didn't come out until 1973.

At Fillmore East was released in '71 - the definitive version of Whipping Post.

Here's the interview if you'd like to listen to it:
http://www.npr.org/2016/06/22/483081336/author-david-hepworth-on-rock-and-roll-s-best-year-ever

trt: 7:49

I'm gonna have to disgree with that guy.  It was 1977, which saw the emergence of The Clash, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads. The Ramones 3rd album in 18 months, Iggy's Lust For Life, Bowie's Heroes, etc. 

But that's just my opinion.

I live these conversations. There is no debate because this is all great stuff. For me it is probably 1991. Yup...1991.

Nirvana (Nevermind)


Pearl Jam (Ten)


Red Hot Chili Peppers (Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik)


Metallica (Black Album)


Widespread Panic (Widespread Panic)


Typo O' Negative (Slow, Deep, and Hard)


Temple of the Dog (Temple of the Dog)


Dinosaur, Jr (Green Mind)


Also, need a old timer here: what about 1967? Jimi Hendrix Experience, Doors, and Velvet Underground and Nico.

That's why I find these discussions exhausting. There is no objectively correct answer, despite what Hepworth says in the interview.

71 was a good year.

So TN, you're one of them Gen-Xer's?
NTTAWWT

LooseGoose wrote:At Fillmore East was released in '71 - the definitive version of Whipping Post.

Gimme Frank's version anyday

I live these conversations. There is no debate because this is all great stuff. For me it is probably 1991. Yup...1991.

Nirvana (Nevermind)


Pearl Jam (Ten)


Red Hot Chili Peppers (Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik)


Metallica (Black Album)


Widespread Panic (Widespread Panic)


Typo O' Negative (Slow, Deep, and Hard)


Temple of the Dog (Temple of the Dog)


Dinosaur, Jr (Green Mind)


Also, need a old timer here: what about 1967? Jimi Hendrix Experience, Doors, and Velvet Underground and Nico.

Also...

I have to split hairs on this topic. 1956 was the greatest year for rock and roll. I could agree 1971 was arguably the best year for rock.

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

I live these conversations. There is no debate because this is all great stuff. For me it is probably 1991. Yup...1991.

Nirvana (Nevermind)


Pearl Jam (Ten)


Red Hot Chili Peppers (Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik)


Metallica (Black Album)


Widespread Panic (Widespread Panic)


Typo O' Negative (Slow, Deep, and Hard)


Temple of the Dog (Temple of the Dog)


Dinosaur, Jr (Green Mind)


Also, need a old timer here: what about 1967? Jimi Hendrix Experience, Doors, and Velvet Underground and Nico.

Also...

I left out some great stuff. What year did SP's Gish album come out? Was that also 1991? I was thinking 1990. That is a kickass album.

I really remember or have a very good sense of 71 on up in my life. I was ten and really into music and, believe it or not, the Kennedy assassination in 68 (Bobby) tweaked my interest in politics, along with my brother in 65 who sent on his own to the whitehouse a christmas card to Lyndon Johnson in July, and he drew a stamp on it, and Johnson wrote him back, and the local paper made a big deal out of a funny story. So, I watched Nixon and was fascinated by Vietnam and his resignation three years later. All in all a real heady three or four years.

Floyd Robertson wrote:I'm gonna have to disgree with that guy.  It was 1977, which saw the emergence of The Clash, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads. The Ramones 3rd album in 18 months, Iggy's Lust For Life, Bowie's Heroes, etc. 

But that's just my opinion.

Strong examples make your case, but 1977 was also right in the wheelhouse of disco's high point, therefore your argument is invalid.

tGreenWay wrote:

Floyd Robertson wrote:I'm gonna have to disgree with that guy.  It was 1977, which saw the emergence of The Clash, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads. The Ramones 3rd album in 18 months, Iggy's Lust For Life, Bowie's Heroes, etc. 

But that's just my opinion.

Strong examples make your case, but 1977 was also right in the wheelhouse of disco's high point, therefore your argument is invalid.

You just had to ignore the noise. Literally.

So it's settled. 1991 it is.

Turtleneck wrote:So it's settled. 1991 it is.

That shit sucks.

Turtleneck wrote:

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

Also...

I left out some great stuff. What year did SP's Gish album come out? Was that also 1991? I was thinking 1990. That is a kickass album.

Gish was 1991, Pumpkins are my favorite band. They ceased to exist, in my mind, after they fired Jimmy (and rightly so).. Probably was the best year in music in a looooong time up to that point and my personal favorite. '71 is hard to beat, though.

BleacherSwill wrote:

Turtleneck wrote:So it's settled. 1991 it is.

That shit sucks.

Have you considered the problem is that you suck?

Turtleneck wrote:So it's settled. 1991 it is.

I agree with you.

DWags wrote:71 was a good year.

71 was a GREAT year. As good as any year and arguably the best.

The segmentation of radio formats had not yet prevailed. The pioneers of rock (50's and early 60's Rockabilly and R&B artists) were still fairly young and performing, The 60's acts were still in their prime and producing as a group or as solo artists; black acts were still R&B and Funk, white acts were still experimenting and free to do so without interference from corporate overseers; heavy metal, progressive and "classical" ( bands using heavy orchestration) rock acts were proliferating; Shock Rock acts such as Alice Cooper were emerging.

It seems that the defining aspects of decades don't follow years 0-10 but 05-05. For example, the 60's, politically, socially and economically were from 1965-75. Interestingly, and not coincidentally, the Vietnam war heated up in '65 and ended in '75.

1971 marks the middle of the 60's and has shown to arguably have been the apex of the intellectual (if you will) and technological progression fueled by the British Invasion and the response of bands from the US, and world-wide.

Simply put, artists had the freedom to express, were supported by record companies and the industry and baby boomers whose older members age 18-25 sought greater sophistication as well as continued variety. In other words, the kids were supporting lots of acts with a broad range of tastes, especially given the homogeneity of the American population at that time.

Jethro Bodeen wrote:

DWags wrote:71 was a good year.

71 was a GREAT year. As good as any year and arguably the best.

The segmentation of radio formats had not yet prevailed. The pioneers of rock (50's and early 60's Rockabilly and R&B artists) were still fairly young and performing, The 60's acts were still in their prime and producing as a group or as solo artists; black acts were still R&B and Funk, white acts were still experimenting and free to do so without interference from corporate overseers; heavy metal, progressive and "classical" ( bands using heavy orchestration) rock acts were proliferating; Shock Rock acts such as Alice Cooper were emerging.

It seems that the defining aspects of decades don't follow years 0-10 but 05-05. For example, the 60's, politically, socially and economically were from 1965-75. Interestingly, and not coincidentally, the Vietnam war heated up in '65 and ended in '75.

1971 marks the middle of the 60's and has shown to arguably have been the apex of the intellectual (if you will) and technological progression fueled by the British Invasion and the response of bands from the US, and world-wide.

Simply put, artists had the freedom to express, were supported by record companies and the industry and baby boomers whose older members age 18-25 sought greater sophistication as well as continued variety. In other words, the kids were supporting lots of acts with a broad range of tastes, especially given the homogeneity of the American population at that time.

My kids have always found it hard to believe when I tell them about AM radio back then. On CKLW you could easily get the Beatles followed by Black Sabbath followed by Marvin Gaye followed by Van Morrison then the Supremes and Deep Purple. It was a time where everybody listened to all kinds of new music.

tGreenWay wrote:

Floyd Robertson wrote:I'm gonna have to disgree with that guy.  It was 1977, which saw the emergence of The Clash, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads. The Ramones 3rd album in 18 months, Iggy's Lust For Life, Bowie's Heroes, etc. 

But that's just my opinion.

Strong examples make your case, but 1977 was also right in the wheelhouse of disco's high point, therefore your argument is invalid.

1956 was the best year of rock and roll. Perry Como, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Frank Sinatra, and Brenda Lee had equally sizable record sales and hits. There is always competition and other genres. That disco was also in 77 big does not negate all that year as a candidate for best in rock. Your mind is stuck in a zero sum fame gain.

Not for nothing, I find it hard to say that the year after Hendrix, Joplin, and Morrison died could be the best at anything. *Sad trombone*

And I've been riding around with my windows down blasting Surrealistic Pillow, the ultimate summer album, for days.





Bottom line - you like what you like, and that's not going to change. Pick whatever year, music, artist you want, and keep on rockin'.

Why do I care what year is best? You know what year is best? This year, because we can listen to ALL of the music. Next year will be even better, because we'll have everything we have now plus next year's music too.

If you give weight to live acts, then SpartanInNH is right, any year after Jimi ascended to Heaven is disqualified.

Cameron wrote:Why do I care what year is best? You know what year is best? This year, because we can listen to ALL of the music. Next year will be even better, because we'll have everything we have now plus next year's music too.

If you give weight to live acts, then SpartanInNH is right, any year after Jimi ascended to Heaven is disqualified.

Cameron, it was implied that we were ranking the years in which music was released. If we go by your rules every current year will be better than the previous one, which would not make for good discussion.

That being said, I'm with the 1991 crowd.

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

Cameron wrote:Why do I care what year is best? You know what year is best? This year, because we can listen to ALL of the music. Next year will be even better, because we'll have everything we have now plus next year's music too.

If you give weight to live acts, then SpartanInNH is right, any year after Jimi ascended to Heaven is disqualified.

Cameron, it was implied that we were ranking the years in which music was released. If we go by your rules every current year will be better than the previous one, which would not make for good discussion.

That being said, I'm with the 1991 crowd.

I understand the premise of the thread, I simply reject it. Using a calendar year to group music together is arbitrary and illogical. The beauty of recorded music (aside from the music's inherent beauty) is that it can be enjoyed from now until society collapses and man is once again reduced to hunter-gatherer.