The five greatest years for rock music. Every year great albums are released, and some years there are multiple great albums released. Every once in a while, though, you get a year that is spectacular in terms of release output. We’re talking classic album after classic album. Here are our top years and why they are on the list. In no real particular order, and only our top fifteen albums from those years as the list of great albums would be way too long. Long live Rock N Roll!

1969

Janis Joplin, I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!

James Brown, Say It Loud I’m Black and I’m

Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bayou Country

MC5, Kick Out the Jams

The Stooges, The Stooges

David Bowie, Space Oddity

The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground

The Who Tommy

King Crimson, In the Court of the Crimson King

Led Zeplin II
Led Zepplin

The Beatles, Abbey Road

The Rolling Stones , Let it Bleed

Blind Faith

The Allman Brothers Band

1967

The Doors

The Doors Strange Days

The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced

The Jimi Hendrix Experience Axis: Bold As Love

The Rolling Stones Between the Buttons (US Version)

Cream Disraeli Gears

Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow

The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour

The Kinks Something Else by the Kinks

Donovan Mellow Yellow

Bob Dylan John Wesley Harding

Big Brother and the Holding Company

The Who Sell Out

The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell United

1991

Prince & The New Power Generation – Diamonds and Pearls

Public Enemy – Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black

Temple of the Dog – Temple of the Dog

A Tribe Called Quest – Low End Theory

Matthew Sweet – Girlfriend

Smashing Pumpkins – Gish

Nirvana – Nevermind

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open

Soundgarden – Badmotorfinger

2Pac – 2Pacalypse Now

Pearl Jam – Ten

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Talk Talk – Laughing Stock

Metallica – Black Album

Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge

1973

Al Green Call Me

Led Zepplin Houses of the Holy

Iggy and the Stooges Raw Power

Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon

Stevie Wonder Innervisions

Roxy Music For Your Pleasure

Bob Marley & The Wailers Catch a Fire

Marvin Gaye Let’s Get It On

The Who Quadrophenia

David Bowie Aladdin Sane

New York Dolls New York Dolls

Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Tom Waits Closing Time

ZZ Top Tres Hombres

Bruce Springsteen The Wild, The Innocent, & The E-Street Shuffle

1984

Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain

Bruce Springsteen – Born In The USA

Black Flag – My War

Echo & The Bunnymen – Ocean Rain

The Pretenders – Learning to Crawl

Tina Turner – Private Dancer

Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense

R.E.M. – Reckoning

The Replacements – Let It Be

The Smiths – The Smiths

U2 – The Unforgettable Fire

Run-D.M.C. – Run-D.M.C.

Van Halen – 1984

Michael Jackson – Thriller

Metallica – Ride The Lightning

There you go! Agree? Disagree? What year made your Top 5?