Greg Smith gsmith@westnet.com
V1.0 11/9/96. This listing started out as a Progress database, which was easily enough turned into HTML
V1.1 1/21/05. Finally started updating this moldy old list with even older and moldier prog albums from ELP and King Crimson.

Nearly Perfect Albums: 1967-1980

I must be starting to get old. Here's the latest symptom, which has been happening with disturbing frequency lately: I'm talking to someone about music. I ask them if they recognize a song, they don't. Now, I'm surprised to hear this, because I remember that song as being very popular when it came out, getting tons of radio play. Oops, sorry about that, they weren't born yet when it was released. No wonder they don't have the same memories of it that I do. I can trace my own taste in music back to 1967, so that's where I start here (even though that does happen to be before I was born). 1980 seems a good place to stop at; at that point, Steely Dan and the Eagles were breaking up, Pink Floyd had started tearing apart (even if it would be another few years before it was official), and the radio stations I listened to were poised to start playing material from bands like Journey and the Police, who don't quite fit in my mind with the era I'm covering here.

I've already got some stuff on my home page about obscure music I listen to (like Sifting through the Wasteland, which winds through the 80's), but that's not really the core of my collection. The albums listed here are. If I had to go replace all my CDs tomorrow, these are the first 60 I'd buy. Not all of them are quite perfect; you'll find the occasional bummer track on even the best albums. The worst track ever on an otherwise perfect album is, of course, Mother from the Police's Syncronicity, with I'm in touch with your world from The Cars being a close second; I also hate Benny the Bouncer on ELP's Brain Salad Surgery, but unlike the other two opinions are mixed on that one.

These albums are as close to ideal as I've found , and this listing by year lets the youngsters see just how much they've missed out on. Even fellow old folks should find a surprise or two, so off we go.

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

Hits Collections

Some of the stuff I really like from this area is from bands that are, in my opinion, better sampled in hits collection sized bites. All the things listed here are great collections from artists I wouldn't bother getting the individual albums by. Many of these also feature stuff the bands released in the 80's, so they seemed particularly appropriate to segregate here. These represent my favorite grouping of material by the band, which may or may not still be available:

A closing comment

If you saw something you like here, you may want to reference my Rock Remaster Reviews listing before you go buy it--many of the albums here have multiple CD versions, and some are better than others.
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