BK vs. The World: Years for Music

Power rankings of the years from 1956 to 1986, ordered from last to first, in terms of the music released (or generally going on) in each year:

1958
Important album releases to consider: Milestones (Miles Davis), The Atomic Mr. Basie (Count Basie).

1974
Important album releases to consider: Up for the Down Stroke (Parliament), Rush (Rush), Open Our Eyes (Earth, Wind and Fire), Too Much Too Soon (New York Dolls), Small Talk (Sly & the Family Stone), Roots Reggae (Toots & the Maytals), Natty Dread (Bob Marley & the Wailers), Sheer Heart Attack (Queen), Caribou (Elton John).
Neil Peart joins Rush. Cock Sparrer, the Ramones and Blondie form.

1960
Important album releases to consider: Sketches of Spain (Miles Davis), Giant Steps (John Coltrane), Save the Last Dance for Me (The Drifters), The Genius Hits the Road (Ray Charles).
The Beatles form.

1962
Important album releases to consider: The Bridge (Sonny Rollins), Sherry & 11 Others (The Four Seasons), Surfin' Safari (The Beach Boys), Bob Dylan (Bob Dylan), Lena ... Lovely and Alive (Lena Horne).
The Rolling Stones and the Trashmen form.

1961
Important album releases to consider: The Great Kai & J.J. (Kai Winding and J.J. Johnson), My Favorite Things (John Coltrane), Tonight's the Night (The Shirelles), Runaway (Del Shannon), At Last! (Etta James), Sunday at the Village Vanguard (The Bill Evans Trio).
The Beach Boys form.

1957
Important album releases to consider: 'Round About Midnight (Miles Davis), Sonny Side Up (Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt), Blue Train (John Coltrane), Johnny Cash With His Hot and Blue Guitar (Johnny Cash), The "Chirping" Crickets (The Crickets), Here's Little Richard (Little Richard).

1964
Important album releases to consider: Meet the Beatles! (The Beatles), The Beatles' Second Album (The Beatles), A Hard Day's Night (The Beatles), Ska Authentic (The Skatalites), Under the Boardwalk (The Drifters), The Times They Are a-Changin' (Bob Dylan), Kinks (The Kinks), The Rolling Stones (The Rolling Stones), Make Way for Dionne Warwick (Dionne Warwick).
The Who, the Jackson 5 and the Velvet Underground form.

1963
Important album releases to consider: Please Please Me (The Beatles), With the Beatles (The Beatles), Ain't That a Shame & 11 Others (The Four Seasons), Big Girls Don't Cry & 12 Others (The Four Seasons), Night Beat (Sam Cooke), Mingus Plays Piano (Charles Mingus), John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman).
The Wailers and the Yardbirds form.

1959
Important album releases to consider: Kind of Blue (Miles Davis), Chuck Berry Is on Top (Chuck Berry), Time Out (The Dave Brubeck Quartet).

1956
Important album releases to consider: Tenor Madness (Sonny Rollins), Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street (Clifford Brown and Max Roach), The Complete Porgy and Bess, Elvis Presley (Elvis Presley), Saxophone Colossus (Sonny Rollins), The Wildest! (Louis Prima).

1966
Important album releases to consider: Revolver (The Beatles), Sounds of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel), Gettin' Ready (The Temptations), I Got You (James Brown), Aftermath (Rolling Stones), Pet Sounds (The Beach Boys), Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme (Simon & Garfunkel), The Supremes A' Go-Go (The Supremes), The Exciting Wilson Pickett (Wilson Pickett), A Quick One (The Who), If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (The Mamas and the Papas), Ska Boo-Da-Ba (The Skatalites), The Good the Bad and the Ugly (Ennio Morricone).
Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience form.

1972
Important album releases to consider: Talking Book (Stevie Wonder), Still Bill (Bill Withers), Let's Stay Together (Al Green), I'm Still in Love With You (Al Green), Funky Kingston (Toots & the Maytals), Slatyam Sloot (Toots & the Maytals), All Directions (The Temptations), Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie), The Harder They Come (Jimmy Cliff), Chicago V (Chicago), They Only Come Out at Night (Edgar Winter Group).
Devo, Van Halen and Graham Central Station form.

1965
Important album releases to consider: My Generation (The Who), Rubber Soul (The Beatles), A Love Supreme (John Coltrane), A Charlie Brown Christmas (The Vince Guaraldi Trio), More Hits by the Supremes (The Supremes), L-O-V-E (Nat King Cole), Bringing It All Back Home (Bob Dylan), For Your Love (The Yardbirds), The Temptations Sing Smokey (The Temptations), Four Tops (The Four Tops).
Pink Floyd, the Grateful Dead, the Doors and Jefferson Airplane form.

1967
Important album releases to consider: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles), Magical Mystery Tour (The Beatles), Axis: Bold as Love (The Jimi Hendrix Experience), The Who Sell Out (The Who), 007 Shanty Town (Desmond Dekker), Make It Happen (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles), The Doors (The Doors), Surrealistic Pillow (Jefferson Airplane), The Velvet Underground & Nico (The Velvet Underground & Nico), United (Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell), The Windows of the World (Dionne Warwick), I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (Aretha Franklin), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (Pink Floyd), What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong), Everybody Needs Love (Gladys Knight & the Pips).
The Gap Band and Sly & the Family Stone form.

1968
Important album releases to consider: The White Album (The Beatles), Electric Ladyland (The Jimi Hendrix Experience), Bookends (Simon & Garfunkel), Action! (Desmond Dekker), Dance to the Music (Sly & the Family Stone), Wheels of Fire (Cream), In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (Iron Butterfly), The Second (Steppenwolf), Hair.
Led Zeppelin (as the New Yardbirds), Rush, Yes and Black Sabbath (as Earth) form.

1971
Important album releases to consider: Who's Next (The Who), Zoso (Led Zeppelin), Fragile (Yes), The Yes Album (Yes), Madman Across the Water (Elton John), Shaft (Isaac Hayes), What's Going On (Marvin Gaye), Just as I Am (Bill Withers), 4 Way Street (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), Aqualung (Jethro Tull), Sky's the Limit (The Temptations), L.A. Woman (The Doors), Thirds (James Gang), Weather Report (Weather Report), Imagine (John Lennon), There's a Riot Goin' On (Sly & the Family Stone), Hunky Dory (David Bowie), Super Bad (James Brown).
The New York Dolls and Queen form.

1985
Important album releases to consider: I Don't Want to Grow Up (The Descendents), Salad Days (Minor Threat), Rites of Spring (Rites of Spring), Recriminations (The Toasters), Saturday's Heroes (The Business), Frankenchrist (Dead Kennedys), New Day Rising (Husker Du), In My Head (Black Flag), Loose Nut (Black Flag), The Process of Weeding Out (Black Flag), Flip Your Wig (Husker Du), Around the World in a Day (Prince & the Revolution), In Square Circle (Stevie Wonder), Power Windows (Rush), Mad Not Mad (Madness), Dare to Be Stupid ("Weird Al" Yankovic).
Revolution Summer is going on in D.C. The Jayhawks, the Mr. T Experience, Radiohead and Dream Theater form.

1984
Important album releases to consider: Zen Arcade (Husker Du), Keep Moving (Madness), Running Riot in '84 (Cock Sparrer), Slip It In (Black Flag), Family Man (Black Flag), My War (Black Flag), Run-D.M.C. (Run-D.M.C.), Ego Trip (Kurtis Blow), Purple Rain (Prince), The Red Hot Chili Peppers (The Red Hot Chili Peppers), The Works (Queen), 1984 (Van Halen), Rising Force (Yngwie Malmsteen), Grace Under Pressure (Rush), Goodbye Cruel World (Elvis Costello & the Attractions), Fat Boys (Fat Boys), Double Nickels on the Dime (Minutemen), Brewing Up With Billy Bragg (Billy Bragg), When in Rome Do as the Vandals (The Vandals), The Voice (Bobby McFerrin), This Is Spinal Tap, "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D ("Weird Al" Yankovic).
Rites of Spring and Primus form.

1976
Important album releases to consider: Ramones (Ramones), 2112 (Rush), High Voltage (AC/DC), Jaco Pastorius (Jaco Pastorius), Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (AC/DC), A Day at the Races (Queen), The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein (Parliament), Spirit (Earth, Wind & Fire), Songs in the Key of Life (Stevie Wonder), Reggae Got Soul (Toots & the Maytals), Happiness Is Being With the Spinners (The Spinners), Presence (Led Zeppelin), Bigger Than Both of Us (Hall & Oates), Frampton Comes Alive! (Peter Frampton), Black Market (Weather Report).
The Clash, Black Flag, Madness, Sham 69, Bad Manners, the Buzzcocks, the Vibrators, the U.K. Subs, the Damned and X-Ray Spex form.

1978
Important album releases to consider: Give 'Em Enough Rope (The Clash), This Year's Model (Elvis Costello & the Attractions), Cock Sparrer (Cock Sparrer), Static Age (The Misfits), Van Halen (Van Halen), Tell Us the Truth (Sham 69), Motor Booty Affair (Parliament), Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (Devo), Who Are You (The Who), Nervous Breakdown (Black Flag), Kaya (Bob Marley & the Wailers), Some Girls (The Rolling Stones), More Songs About Buildings and Food (Talking Heads), Road to Ruin (The Ramones), Parallel Lines (Blondie).
The Descendents, Dead Kennedys, Social Distortion, D.O.A. and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five form.

1970
Important album releases to consider: Let It Be (The Beatles), Led Zeppelin III (Led Zeppelin), ABC (The Jackson 5), Bitches Brew (Miles Davis), Paranoid (Black Sabbath), Signed Sealed & Delivered (Stevie Wonder), Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel), Third Album (The Jackson 5), Intensified (Desmond Dekker), You Can Get It if You Really Want (Desmond Dekker), Sex Machine (James Brown), Soul on Top (James Brown), Workingman's Dead (The Grateful Dead), Fun House (The Stooges), The Man Who Sold the World (David Bowie), Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround Part One (The Kinks), Chicago (Chicago), Spirit in the Sky (Norman Greenbaum), Eric Clapton (Eric Clapton), Atom Heart Mother (Pink Floyd), Tea for the Tillerman (Cat Stevens), American Beauty (The Grateful Dead), Naturally (Three Dog Night), I'll Never Fall in Love Again (Dionne Warwick).
Weather Report forms.

1973
Important album releases to consider: The Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd), Houses of the Holy (Led Zeppelin), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John), Burnin' (The Wailers), Quadrophenia (The Who), Innervisions (Stevie Wonder), Fresh (Sly & the Family Stone), Head to the Sky (Earth, Wind & Fire), Let's Get It On (Marvin Gaye), New York Dolls (New York Dolls), In the Dark (Toots & the Maytals), Livin' for You (Al Green), Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (Elton John), Ship Ahoy (The O'Jays), Call Me (Al Green), Imagination (Gladys Knight & the Pips), Killing Me Softly (Roberta Flack).
AC/DC forms.

1982
Important album releases to consider: Milo Goes to College (The Descendents), Bad Brains (Bad Brains), TV Party (Black Flag), Now Then ... (Stiff Little Fingers), Combat Rock (The Clash), The Rise & Fall (Madness), Thriller (Michael Jackson), Sound of Music (The Adicts), Special Beat Service (The Beat), Walk Among Us (The Misfits), Imperial Bedroom (Elvis Costello & the Attractions), Under the Big Black Sun (X), Signals (Rush), Plastic Surgery Disasters (Dead Kennedys), How Could Hell Be Any Worse? (Bad Religion), 8th Wonder (The Sugarhill Gang), The Number of the Beast (Iron Maiden), Coda (Led Zeppelin), Sonic Youth (Sonic Youth), 1999 (Prince), Bobby McFerrin (Bobby McFerrin).
They Might Be Giants and the Smiths form.

1975
Important album releases to consider: Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd), A Night at the Opera (Queen), Fly by Night (Rush), That's the Way of the World (Earth, Wind & Fire), Mothership Connection (Parliament), T.N.T. (AC/DC), Physical Graffiti (Led Zeppelin), The Who by Numbers (The Who), Gratitude (Earth, Wind & Fire), Chocolate City (Parliament), Honey (The Ohio Players), The Israelites (Desmond Dekker), The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The Adicts, the Sex Pistols, the Talking Heads and Iron Maiden form.

1986
Important album releases to consider: I Against I (Bad Brains), Enjoy! (The Descendents), Bedtime for Democracy (Dead Kennedys), Master of Puppets (Metallica), Raising Hell (Run-D.M.C.), Licensed to Ill (Beastie Boys), Hot Cool & Vicious (Salt-n-Pepa), The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are (2 Live Crew), Blood & Chocolate (Elvis Costello & the Attractions), In Your Face (Fishbone), Minuteflag (Minutemen and Black Flag), King of America (Elvis Costello), Candy Apple Grey (Husker Du), A King of Magic (Queen), Parade (Prince & the Revolution), They Might Be Giants (They Might Be Giants), Talking With the Taxman About Poetry (Billy Bragg), Polka Party! ("Weird Al" Yankovic).
Propagandhi, N.W.A., No Doubt, Stone Temple Pilots, Screeching Weasel, the Offspring, Alice n' Chains, the Evaporators and the Klezmatics form.

1983
Important album releases to consider: Shock Troops (Cock Sparrer), Out of Step (Minor Threat), Everything Falls Apart (Husker Du), Violent Femmes (Violent Femmes), Punch the Clock (Elvis Costello & the Attractions), Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood (The Misfits), Suburban Rebels (The Business), Speaking in Tongues (Talking Heads), Kill 'Em All (Metallica), 90125 (Yes), Future Shock (Herbie Hancock), Piece of Mind (Iron Maiden), Synchronicity (The Police), Rock for Light (Bad Brains), Mommy's Little Monster (Social Distortion), Confrontation (Bob Marley & the Wailers), What Makes a Man Start Fires? (Minutemen), Suicidal Tendencies (Suicidal Tendencies), The Final Cut (Pink Floyd), Powerlight (Earth, Wind & Fire), Life's a Riot With Spy vs. Spy (Billy Bragg), Murmur (R.E.M.), Koyaanisqatsi (Philip Glass), Let's Dance (David Bowie), "Weird Al" Yankovic ("Weird Al" Yankovic).
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Run-D.M.C., the Red Hot Chili Peppers and NOFX form.

1977
Important album releases to consider: The Clash (The Clash), My Aim Is True (Elvis Costello), All 'N All (Earth, Wind & Fire), A Farewell to Kings (Rush), Animals (Pink Floyd), Talking Heads: 77 (Talking Heads), News of the World (Queen), Never Mind the Bollocks (The Sex Pistols), Exodus (Bob Marley & the Wailers), Bat Out of Hell (Meat Loaf), Little Queen (Heart), Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome (Parliament), Damned Damned Damned (The Damned), Spiral Scratch (The Buzzcocks), Pure Mania (The Vibrators), Rocket to Russia (The Ramones), Let There Be Rock (AC/DC), Peter Gabriel (Peter Gabriel), Commodores (The Commodores), Slowhand (Eric Clapton), Star Wars Original Soundtrack (John Williams).
The Specials, Stiff Little Fingers, Bad Brains, the Misfits, Angelic Upstarts and the Germs form.

1980
Important album releases to consider: I Just Can't Stop It (The Beat), Absolutely (Madness), More Specials (The Specials), Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (Dead Kennedys), Too Much Pressure (The Selecter), Permanent Waves (Rush), Get Happy!! (Elvis Costello), Nobody's Heroes (Stiff Little Fingers), Back in Black (AC/DC), Remain in Light (Talking Heads), The Game (Queen), Super Black Market Clash (The Clash), Sandinista! (The Clash), Beware (The Misfits), Group Sex (The Circle Jerks), Los Angeles (X), Uprising (Bob Marley & the Wailers), Kurtis Blow (Kurtis Blow), Zenyatta Mondatta (The Police), Freedom of Choice (Devo), Voices (Hall & Oates), Women and Children First (Van Halen), Ska 'n' B (Bad Manners), Loonee Tunes! (Bad Manners), The Game (Sham 69), Something Better Change (D.O.A.), Stations of the Crass (Crass), Sugarhill Gang (The Sugarhill Gang), Black and Dekker (Desmond Dekker), Flash Gordon (Queen), Empire Strikes Back Soundtrack (John Williams).
Minor Threat, Minutemen and Agnostic Front form.

1979
Important album releases to consider: One Step Beyond (Madness), The Specials (The Specials), London Calling (The Clash), Inflammable Material (Stiff Little Fingers), The Wall (Pink Floyd), The Cost of Living (The Clash), Armed Forces (Elvis Costello & The Attractions), Off the Wall (Michael Jackson), Reggatta de Blanc (The Police), I Am (Earth, Wind & Fire), Highway to Hell (AC/DC), Van Halen II (Van Halen), Look Sharp! (Joe Jackson), I'm the Man (Joe Jackson), Teenage Warning (Angelic Upstarts), In Through the Out Door (Led Zeppelin), Fear of Music (Talking Heads), GI (The Germs), Duty Now for the Future (Devo).
The Adolescents, Fishbone, Husker Du, Cockney Rejects, Bad Religion, Agent Orange and the 4-Skins form.

1969
Important album releases to consider: Abbey Road (The Beatles), Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin), Led Zeppelin II (Led Zeppelin), Tommy (The Who), The Stooges (The Stooges), Stand! (Sly & the Family Stone), Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 (The Jackson 5), David Bowie (David Bowie), My Cherie Amour (Stevie Wonder), Yellow Submarine (The Beatles), Cloud Nine (The Temptations), Hot Buttered Soul (Isaac Hayes), Volunteers (Jefferson Airplane), Santana (Santana), The Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago), The Skatalite! (The Skatalites).
The Allman Brothers Band, Hall & Oates, Focus and Earth, Wind & Fire form.

1981
Important album releases to consider: Damaged (Black Flag), Minor Threat (Minor Threat), In My Eyes (Minor Threat), Adolescents (The Adolescents), Moving Pictures (Rush), Celebrate the Bullet (The Selecter), Songs of Praise (The Adicts), Wild Gift (X), In God We Trust Inc. (Dead Kennedys), Raise! (Earth, Wind & Fire), Trust (Elvis Costello & the Attractions), 3 Hits From Hell (The Misfits), Knock Out! (Toots & the Maytals), Face Dances (The Who), Go for It (Stiff Little Fingers), Private Eyes (Hall & Oates), Street Songs (Rick James), Six Pack (Black Flag), Wha'ppen? (The Beat), 7 (Madness), I Love Rock 'n' Roll (Joan Jett & the Blackhearts), For Those About to Rock (AC/DC), Pleasant Dreams (The Ramones), Word of Mouth (Jaco Pastorius), The Punch Line (Minutemen), Gosh It's ... (Bad Manners), Ghost in the Machine (The Police), Business as Usual (Men at Work), Bad Religion (Bad Religion), Hardcore '81 (D.O.A.), Dance With Me (TSOL), Millions of Dead Cops (MDC), Punks Not Dead (The Exploited), Penis Envy (Crass), Sorry Ma Forgot to Take Out the Trash (The Replacements).
The Queers and Metallica form.



* Disclaimer: All information is from Wikipedia. I take no responsibility for factual inaccuracies.