The best albums, year by year (since 1959)

46   8.9  

1959

Favourite song: "Fables of Faubus"
Favourite moment: Lots of 'em. The very last chord of "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", for one.

blue_skies's rating:

16   8.4  

1960

Favourite song: "Moanin'"
Favourite moment: The absolutely tiny moment at 3:28 in "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too" when the saxophone solo begins.

blue_skies's rating:

14   8.1  

1961

Favourite song: N/A (it's only one song)
Favourite moment: The last fifteen minutes or so. It suddenly quiets down to only the two bassists and drummers soloing in an AWESOMELY weird sounding manner with the horns making sudden furious attacks on the listener. Oh, and the drum solo. THE DAMN DRUM SOLO. Simple brilliance. One of the coolest album closings EVER.

blue_skies's rating:

3   9.5  

1962

Favourite song: "Spiritual"
Favourite moment: n/a at the moment

blue_skies's rating:

47   9.1  

1963

Favourite song: "Solo Dancer (Stop! Look! And Listen, Sinner Jim Whitney!)"
Favourite moment: The above track from about 4:12 onwards. Every instrument is perfectly arranged there but especially Mingus' mad BASS.

blue_skies's rating:

66   7.2  

1964

Favourite song: "It Ain't Me, Babe"
Favourite moment:

Ah, my friends from the prison, they ask unto me,
"How good, how good does it feel to be free?"
And I answer them most mysteriously,
"Are birds free from the chains of the skyway?"

blue_skies's rating:

115   8.5  

1965

Favourite song: "Psalm"
Favourite moment: The percussion throughout "Psalm" and the otherworldly feeling in it. Like God actually WAS connected with Coltrane on the album.

blue_skies's rating:

221   8.1  

1966

Favourite song: "God Only Knows"
Favourite moment: The coda of "God Only Knows" is just breath-taking, as well as the massive vocal harmonies on "You Still Believe in Me".

blue_skies's rating:

65   8.4  

1967

Favourite song: "Teachers"
Favourite moment: Those ringing bells in "Sisters of Mercy"

blue_skies's rating:

77   8.3  

1968

Favourite song: "Sweet Thing"
Favourite moment: That "YOUBREATHEIN-YOUBREATHEOUT" thing on "Beside You".

blue_skies's rating:

61   8.1  

1969

Favourite song: "When Big Joan Sets Up"
Favourite moment: Well this is a 28-track album full of crazy, mostly short songs and passing moments so it's impossible to pick one. Let's say the insane wtf drum solo of "Sugar 'N Spikes" for example.

blue_skies's rating:

98   8.6  

1970

Favourite song: "Fun House"
Favourite moment: Any of those Iggy Pop's intense screams. Like the one at the beginning of "T.V. Eye" or the "IFEELALRIGHT!" thing going on in "1970" or the entire title track. Also, the madness unleashed in "L.A. Blues".

blue_skies's rating:

51   8.1  

1971

Favourite song: "Famous Blue Raincoat"
Favourite moment:
Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes
I thought it was there for good so I never tried

it's fucking bitter, man

blue_skies's rating:

4   9  

1972

Favourite song: "Go Slow"
Favourite moment: When Fela goes fucking crazy with his vocals on "Go Slow". It sounds something like this:

"HUGBLGUABGBLULUBGLUBGLALAGBULAUBGALUB"

blue_skies's rating:

42   8.6  

1973

Favourite song: "Easy Money"
Favourite moment: The way the main theme comes back in "Easy Money" or the way the band goes crazy in "Larks Tongues in Aspic (Part One)".

blue_skies's rating:

60   8.4  

1974

Favourite song: "Starless"
Favourite moment: The heavenly guitar melody of "Starless" and everything that comes after the one note solo of Robert Fripp on that track. Sublime.

blue_skies's rating:

7   9.8  

1975

Favourite song: "Dixie"
Favourite moment: The reprise of the theme melody of "Histoires sans paroles".

blue_skies's rating:

9   7.8  

1976

Favourite song: "Pilgrims"
Favourite moment: The chorus of "Pilgrims" or the epic climax of the last song.

blue_skies's rating:

95   8.6  

1977

Favourite song: "Marquee Moon"
Favourite moment: Everything about the guitars of the title track and "Friction".

blue_skies's rating:

52   8.2  

1978

Favourite song: "The Model"
Favourite moment: When the lush beat of "Neon Lights" begins.

blue_skies's rating:

56   7.8  

1979

Favourite song: "Damaged Goods"
Favourite moment: When "I Found That Essence Rare" or "Contract" kicks off. Mad grooves!

blue_skies's rating:

106   7.8  

1980

Favourite song: "Once in a Lifetime"
Favourite moment: The bleeping solo on whatever instrument on "Born Under Punches".

or "MY GOD, WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"

blue_skies's rating:

42   7.7  

1981

Favourite song: "Indiscipline"
Favourite moment:
I repeat myself when under stress.
I repeat myself when under stress.
I repeat myself when under stress.
I repeat myself when under stress.

blue_skies's rating:

436   8.2  

1982

Favourite song: "Billie Jean"
Favourite moment: When the awesome violin first appears on "Billie Jean".

blue_skies's rating:

102   8.1  

1983

Favourite song: "In the Neighborhood"
Favourite moment: The verses of "In the Neighborhood" are pure gold. Also the banging percussion on "16 Shells...".

blue_skies's rating:

9   8.1  

1984 (I think it was originally released then)

Favourite song: "Fratres (for violin and piano)"
Favourite moment: The tension of the magnificent piano chords on "Fratres" and the VIOLIN CLIMAX.

blue_skies's rating:

187   8.3  

1985

Favourite song: "Tango Till They're Sore"
Favourite moment: FULL of them. From the banging sounds of "Big Black Mariah" to the barking vocals of "Singapore", the heavenly accordion intro of the title track and the salvation army band fading out on the last track.

blue_skies's rating:

358   8.3  

1986

Favourite song: "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"
Favourite moment: The strings on that song, the coda of "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side", etc.

blue_skies's rating:

12   8.5  

1987

Favourite song: "Beautiful Child"
Favourite moment: The crazy, evil trumpets that apparently Satan plays on the track "Like a Drug".

blue_skies's rating:

25   8.2  

1988

Favourite song: "I Believe in You"
Favourite moment: The epic harmonica on "The Rainbow" or the percussion of "Desire" or the divine choir type of thing in "I Believe in You"

blue_skies's rating:

11   7.4  

1989

Favourite song: "Rockin' Back Inside My Heart"
Favourite moment: The saxophone solo on the said track.

blue_skies's rating:

139   7.7  

1990

Favourite song: "Mote"
Favourite moment: "Mote" evolving into that noise section that lasts for minutes. The awesome guitar work on "Disappearer".

blue_skies's rating:

82   8  

1991

Favourite song: "Scenario"
Favourite moment: Busta Rhymes tearing EVERYTHING up in his verse. "RRRAOWW RRAOWW LIKE A DUNGEON DRAGON!!"

Also, the snare on "Jazz (We've Got)"

blue_skies's rating:

94   8.4  

1992

Favourite song: "That Feel"
Favourite moment: The "drunken emperor Nero" vocals on "In the Colosseum", the cool lyrics to "Black Wings", the desperation of "I Don't Wanna Grow Up", the apocalyptic feel on "Earth Dies Screaming"... could pick anything.

blue_skies's rating:

122   8.4  

1993

Favourite song: "Bring da Ruckus"
Favourite moment: Oh boy, I could make a list of the best moments on the Wu-Tang debut. Let's say the verses of Inspectah Deck and GZA on "Bring da Ruckus"

blue_skies's rating:

55   8  

1994

Favourite song: "Juicy"
Favourite moment: One of the most badass moments in hip-hop history:

There's gonna be a lot of slow singin, and flower bringin
if my burglar alarm starts ringin'

Off the magnificent "Warning".

blue_skies's rating:

5   9.3  

1995

Favourite song: "Sivulla jatkuu"
Favourite moment: The genious melody of the chorus of "Sivulla jatkuu". How melancholy can a song about brushing your teeth sound?

blue_skies's rating:

86   7.7  

1996

Favourite song: "Girl/Boy Song"
Favourite moment: The 'drum solos' of the said track, or the gorgeous 'chorus' of "Fingerbib".

blue_skies's rating:

1311   8  

1997

Favourite song: "Let Down"
Favourite moment: "One day I am going to grow wings" is such a heartbreaking line.

blue_skies's rating:

242   8.3  

1998

Favourite song: "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"
Favourite moment: And one day we will die
And our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea
But for now we are young
Let us lay in the sun
And count every beautiful thing we can see

blue_skies's rating:

4   9.3  

1999

Favourite song: "Suvannossa ylpeä ilme"
Favourite moment: I love how the story comes together on the last track. The playful mood occasionally present on the album gradually turning into pure MOURN is just amazing. The best Finnish song ever.

No one has talked to me in years

blue_skies's rating:

105   8.2  

2000

Favourite song: "Antennas to Heaven"
Favourite moment: The priest speech on "Static" or the very last minutes of "Antennas to Heaven" or the beginning of "Storm" or the climax of "Sleep" or

blue_skies's rating:

339   8.1  

2001

Favourite song: "Reflection"
Favourite moment: The reprise of the "Disposition" guitar melody on "Reflection".

blue_skies's rating:

185   8.1  

2002

Favourite song: "Jesus, etc."
Favourite moment: When the strings come in on the second verse of the aforementioned song.

blue_skies's rating:

12   9.3  

2003

Favourite song: "The Sun"
Favourite moment: This album is basically a continuous favourite moment but I'll just mention the 'scary trumpets' on "The Sun".

blue_skies's rating:

11   8.4  

2004

Favourite song: "Bridges"
Favourite moment: The holyshit-heavyasfuck drone guitars which catch you totally off guard on "Bridges"

blue_skies's rating:

10   7.3  

2005

Favourite song: "The Gates"
Favourite moment: Tonedeff's delivery on "The Gates".

blue_skies's rating:

81   8.1  

2006

Favourite song: "Monkey & Bear"
Favourite moment: FULL of absolutely fantastic pieces of lyrics. For example:

though my wrists and my waist seemed so easy to break
still, my dear, I would have walked you to the very edge of the water
and they will recognise all the lines of your face
in the face of the daughter of the daughter of my daughter

blue_skies's rating:

34   8.2  

2007

Favourite song: "Etched Headplate"
Favourite moment: The ending of "Shell of Light" :´O

blue_skies's rating:

109   7.9  

2008

Favourite song: "The Rip"
Favourite moment: The agonized vocals of Beth Gibbons near the end of "Threads", holy shit.

And I gotta say: I love it how they were able to craft their best record after a break of 11 years, yet with such a brave change of sound. One of the best comebacks ever.

blue_skies's rating: