I am going to pick my favorite album from each year of my life, selecting them from Wikipedia’s “year in music” because I don’t have them all in iTunes, especially the stuff I have only in vinyl. If the years are wrong, blame the wiki people. I did have to add the 1996 item, because it wasn’t listed – for shame!
Rules say that I have to own it or would most likely have owned it, as I understand them.
1953 – Jazz at Massey Hall – The Quintet. Own on CD.
1954 – Songs For Young Lovers – Frank Sinatra. Don’t own, but have Capitol Singles box set.
1955 – Oklahoma! – Original Broadway Cast. Own a later iteration of this.
1956 – Ella and Louis – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong. Own on CD.
1957 – Ella and Louis Again – Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong. Own on CD.
1958 – South Pacific – Original Soundtrack. My mother owned it on LP.
1959 – Kind of Blue – Miles Davis. Own on CD. Adore.
1960 – Joan Baez – Joan Baez. My father owned, and I own her LP from the previous year.
1961 – Judy at Carnegie Hall – Judy Garland. I think my mother owned LP; in any case, saw the TV special.
1962 – West Side Story – Original Soundtrack. Mom owned on vinyl; I own on CD.
1963 – With the Beatles – The Beatles. Own on CD.
1964 – A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles. Own both US and UK versions on CD.
1965 – The Sound of Music – Original Soundtrack. Owned on vinyl, own on CD.
1966 – Daydream – The Lovin’ Spoonful. Owned on vinyl, own on CD. Sure I could pick Beatles for every year the rest of this decade (this year, Revolver), but what’s the fun in that?
1967 – The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland – The Supremes. Own on LP.
1968 – Bookends – Simon and Garfunkel. Own on LP.
1969 – The Band – The Band. Own on CD.
1970 – After the Gold Rush – Neil Young. Own on CD.
1971 – Jesus Christ Superstar – Various Artists. Own on LP.
1972 – Fragile – Yes. Own on CD.
1973 – Piano Man – Billy Joel. Own on LP, saw him on tour in New Paltz.
1974 – Endless Summer – Beach Boys. Own on vinyl. Actually really discovered early Beach Boys then; my first Beach boys album was Pet Sounds.
1975 – Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon. Own on LP and CD. Defines old relationship.
1976 – Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder. Own on LP and CD. My old record player would automatically return before the 45 that comes with the LP was over.
1977 – “Heroes” – David Bowie. Own on LP.
1978 – Saturday Night Fever – Original Soundtrack. It is what it is. Own on vinyl.
1979 – Squeezing Out Sparks – Graham Parker & the Rumour. Own on vinyl.
1980 – Peter Gabriel (“melt”, the 3rd album with Biko) – Peter Gabriel. Own on LP in German and in English, and on CD in English. A MOST prodigious year! I had to pass on Empty Glass – Pete Townshend and London Calling – The Clash, among MANY others.
1981 – Discipline – King Crimson. Own on vinyl.
1982 – Night and Day – Joe Jackson. Own on vinyl.
1983 – Genesis (the one with “Mama”)- Genesis. Own on vinyl.
1984 – Purple Rain – Prince and the Revolution. Own on LP and CD.
1985 – Soul to Soul – Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble. Own on vinyl.
1986 – Bring On the Night – Sting. Own on vinyl.
1987 – The Joshua Tree – U2. Own on LP and CD.
1988 – Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 – Traveling Wilburys. Own on CD.
1989 – Spike – Elvis Costello. Own on CD. My favorite Costello.
1990 – Shooting Straight in the Dark – Mary Chapin Carpenter. Own on CD.
1991 – Out of Time – R.E.M. Own on CD.
1992 – Ingénue – k.d. lang. Own on CD. Also tied to a relationship.
1993 – I’m Alive – Jackson Browne. Own on CD. A thin year.
1994 – Wildflowers – Tom Petty. Own on CD.
1995 – Now That I’ve Found You: A Collection – Alison Krauss. Own on CD.
1996 – Unchained – Johnny Cash. Own on CD.
1997 – Time Out of Mind – Bob Dylan. Own on CD.
1998 – Mermaid Avenue – Billy Bragg and Wilco. Own on CD.
1999 – Play – Moby. Yeah, I know everyone tired of it. Own on CD.
2000 – American III: Solitary Man – Johnny Cash. Own on CD.
2001 – Love and Theft – Bob Dylan. Bought on September 11. Own on CD.
2002 – American IV: The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash. Own on CD.
2003 – Unearthed – Johnny Cash (Box Set). Lots of songs my father used to sing. Own on CD.
2004 – Van Lear Rose – Loretta Lynn. Own on CD.
2005 – Chaos and Creation in the Backyard – Paul McCartney. Own on CD. By this point, Lydia is 1 and I’m hardly getting ANYTHING.
2006 – We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions – Bruce Springsteen. Own on CD. Out of the fog of new parenthood.
2007 – Raising Sand – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Gave to my wife on CD.
2008 – Liverpool 8 – Ringo Starr. By default. Own on CD. i tend to buy more in the second half of the year. I have at least $50 in gift cards, so Costello, Hiatt, E. Harris and Mudcrutch are among the possibilities for purchase in the near future.
This took at least 67% longer than it did Tosy.
ROG