New music has lost a lot of hold on me over the last few years. And last year I decided that instead of trying to keep up with it all, I’d look back at music history and listen to the albums celebrating milestones. Some of these I’d heard before, but many I had not. The project ended up being more than I could keep up with at times – there’s a list of at least 50 albums I didn’t get to – but it was much more enjoyable to discover and rediscover classics instead of just whatever was being dumped onto Spotify every Friday.
So below are my top 10s from each year I covered, along with some honorable mentions.

1969
1. The Beatles – Abbey Road
2. Dusty Springfield – Dusty in Memphis
3. The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground
4. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Green River
5. The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed
6. Miles Davis – In a Silent Way
7. The Band – The Band
8. Bob Dylan – Nashville Skyline
9. Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul
10. Sly & the Family Stone – Stand!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
• Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bayou Country / Willy and the Poor Boys
• Roberta Flack – First Take
• The Kinks – Arthur
• Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin
• Elvis Presley – From Elvis in Memphis
• The Stooges – The Stooges

1979
1. The Clash – London Calling
2. Elvis Costello and the Attractions – Armed Forces
3. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Damn the Torpedoes
4. Donna Summer – Bad Girls
5. Roxy Music – Manifesto
6. Joe Jackson – Look Sharp!! / I’m the Man
7. Nick Lowe – Labour of Lust
8. Prince – Prince
9. Michael Jackson – Off the Wall
10. Sister Sledge – We Are Family
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
• The B-52’s – The B-52’s
• David Bowie – Lodger
• Buzzcocks – Singles Going Steady
• Chic – Risqué
• Dave Edmunds – Repeat When Necessary
• Gang of Four – Entertainment!
• Ian Hunter – You’re Never Alone with a Schizophrenic
• Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
• Graham Parker – Squeezing Out Sparks
• Sparks – No. 1 in Heaven
• Supertramp – Breakfast in America
• Talking Heads – Fear of Music
• Throbbing Gristle – 20 Jazz Funk Greats
• XTC – Drums and Wires



