January 20, 2025 by A.S. Van Dorston

Revisiting favorite albums that are 50 years old this year.

Top 100 Albums of 1975 | Mix | Breakdown: Genre Lists | Movies | Books

Back in 2016, HBO aired the first and only season of Vinyl, a period crime drama set in 1973, about American Century Records founder and president Richie Finestra (Bobby Canavale), whose passion for music has long since died along with the brain cells destroyed by cocaine. Despite the fact that executive producers included Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese, and the legend himself directed the pilot episode, HBO canceled it even after announcing there would be a second season. There’s several scenes that include the New York Dolls playing at Max’s Kansas City, Led Zeppelin, Bo Diddley, Lou Reed, Karen Carpenter, Alice Cooper, Bowie, Gram Parsons, Elvis, Bob Marley, John Lennon and, uh, Robert Goulet. Finestra’s soul is slapped awake gradually by his excitement over signing a sort of proto-punk band called the Nasty Bits. Or maybe because he also had a murder to cover up. It’s too bad the show was cancelled, as it would have been fun to see the story continue into 1974 and 75. It gave a somewhat more realistic view of the music business, as opposed to the almost Disney-like version seen in Almost Famous, that somehow made the drugs, sex and general depravity almost family friendly.

The music business had a long tradition of lizard like gangsters moonlighting as music executives, and the relentless pursuit of profits was starting to wear on some artists. One compilation that came out that year was Black Sabbath’s We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘n’ Roll. But what really happened was they let the trappings of rock ‘n’ roll suck their souls drive, and their passion for rock ‘n’ roll, which is one reason why 1975 is often considered the weakest year in the decade.

Yet for every road-weary and jaded band there were dozens of musicians still taking joy in creating music, pushing boundaries and just rocking the fuck out. Reggae, punk, art rock, disco and electronic music were simmering, heading toward boiling point. On their first single, Pere Ubu already had outlined what post-punk was going to sound like. Prog was still producing some challenging albums on the fringes, and heavy metal was slowly being hammered into the axe and anvil sound as we know it, via Black Sabbath’s sixth album, fellow Birmingham mates Judas Priest working behind the scenes on their breakthrough. Rush was inventing prog metal, while Queen, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were pioneers in simply creating their own global brand that would live beyond band breakups and death of band members.

On most of the blurbs I include a few rankings beyond my own — one is a crowd sourced aggregate from the site Rate Your Music, which took over from Allmusic.com as my go-to source for researching music in the 21st century, and Acc laimed Music, which aggregates all the major publications. Album of the Year has taken over as the go-to aggregator for recent year-end lists, which also means that it’s rankings for 1975 reflect more recent lists that reflect current tastes more.

Genre

Hard Rock saw some young bands absorbing all kinds of elements like glam, prog, proto-metal and art rock and creating very unique identities, including Thin Lizzy, Queen, Rush, Be-Bop Deluxe, UFO, Scorpions, AC/DC, and even KISS. It was a pretty good time to be a hard rock fan.

I also went down a Jazz-Funk rabbithole, as there are well over a hundred albums in this genre. I’ve dabbled off and on with this music since the 90s, but only scratched the surface, as I listened to an additional 30 albums this past month that I hadn’t heard before.

Comeback

These days eight years is a blink of an eye, but when Bob Dylan disappeared from public eye after 1967, it was still a big deal to not have two albums a year. After a few disappointing albums, he seemed to tap into the same mysterious genius sauce he was serving in 1963-66 with Blood on the Tracks.

Debut

Patti Smith was the first artist from the CBGB’s scene to emerge with an album, and it was a great one, produced by John Cale, with an iconic cover photo by her old roommate Robert Mappelthorpe, and some guest guitar from both her current boyfriend Alan Lanier of Blue Öyster Cult, and ex-boyfriend Tom Verlaine of Television, who were taking their sweet time gearing up for their first album. Other debuts came from Crack The Sky, Heart, Angel, and The Dictators.

Memoriam

Louis Jordan (66), Dave Alexander (The Stooges, 27), T-Bone Walker (64), Josephine Baker (68), Pete Ham (Badfinger, 27), Bob Wills (69), Tim Buckley (28), Lefty Frizzell (47), Cannonball Adderley (46), Dmitri Shostakovich (68), Al Jackson Jr. (Booker T. & MGs, 39), Oliver Nelson (43), Hound Dog Taylor (60).

Underrated

Many of the artists here were also some of the most commercially successful. But one artist that seemed overlooked in comparison to the acclaim that Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder got, was Curtis Mayfield. While, like many of his peers, he would suffer from some artistic decline later in the decade, in 1975 he was still in top form, but No Place Like America Today remains overlooked as a classic of protest soul.

Disappointment

At the time I was only six, so I had zero expectations for anything! In hindsight, I think the creative journey many bands made from psychedelic to progressive rock in 1968-72 was fascinating, and the exploration of that fertile territory was left incomplete as many bands often devolved into exceedingly ordinary rock, like for example, Stray with their sixth album Stand Up and Be Counted, and The Pretty Things with Savage Eye. Fortunately, a bunch of bands picked up the slack in the next century and now there’s no shortage of great psych prog. I could go on, like The Who’s self-described by numbers, Deep Purple, who went from trailblazers to dicking around with boogie and funk rock. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with those genres, but it’s a bad look for an iconic band to chase trends.

Surprise

Though I was alive that year, I only knew the records that my mom and grandparents had, and what I saw on TV. I was just surprised that Elvis Presley was still alive. Along with proto-punk anthem “I Love Trash” (Oscar the Grouch) and proto-goth “Trust in Me” from The Jungle Book soundtrack, I listened a lot to my mother’s Elvis 45s at the time. The 50s seemed so distant and mysterious, even though the decade ended only 15 years previously. Most people have probably felt that way about the eras that preceded their birth. The top radio hits were Captain & Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together” and Glen Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy,” which didn’t seem to reflect the rapid evolution of music I was hearing on the singles from Elvis to the Beatles. Fortunately, I would soon learn that there was far more exciting music than what was on the radio.

Fester’s Lucky 13 – The Best Albums of 1975

1. Brian Eno – Another Green World (EG)

How does such a beautifully alien piece of music happen, and why is it so appealing? To look at it under a microscope and nitpick would be a mistake. Eno was ever evolving as an artist, moving on from the glam and art rock of his first two solo albums to a sort of crossroads that merges a few somewhat traditionally structured and sung songs with instrumentals that are different from his ambient projects. They’re more like mood pieces, short sound sculptures. The unpredictable feel may come in part from the Oblique Strategies handwritten bamboo cards he had around the studio since 1974, which in 1975 would be published in collaboration with visual artist Peter Schmidt, subtitled “Over One Hundred Worthwhile Dilemmas.” Each card contained a gnomic suggestion, aphorism or remark meant to break creative blocks and induce lateral thinking. The cards really just formalize the playful spirit Eno had obviously exuded since his Roxy Music days, and are just another aspect of what would soon make Eno a sought after producer. As far as his solo albums this is my favorite, and it’s impact when I first brought home the album from Oar Folkjokeopus was immediate. Eno was always self-deprecatingly calling himself a non-musician, but while a Robert Fripp, Phil Collins and a couple others contributed some parts, he handled the bulk of the music himself from guitar, synthesizer, Hammond organ and Farfisa to tape, prepared piano, bass pedal & guitar, percussion and castanets. “Sky Saw” and “St. Elmo’s Fire” are attention grabbers in the beginning, but I just let all 41 minutes wash over me and let the emotions flow.

Art Rock, Ambient, Art Pop, Electronic, Experimental, Progressive Electronic | RYM #3 | Acclaimed #9 | AOTY #8

#1 Albums: RYM – Pink Floyd, Acclaimed – Bruce Springsteen, AOTY – Bob Dylan

2. Black Sabbath – Sabotage (WB)

By their sixth album, Black Sabbath’s presence loomed over all like a light-sucking oblelisk. No one was as heavy as Sabbath, and thousands of acolytes would aspire to follow in their giant footsteps. No matter how many drugs they took or how many times they set their drummer on fire, they always delivered. When Iommi had some writer’s block before their previous album, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973), he didn’t panic that he ran out of riffs. Instead, he moved the band into a haunted castle which provided enough trauma to slap them awake again. Whatever else was going on that would lead to this lineup’s eventual decline and dissolution, they came into this album with the (perhaps cocaine-inflated) confidence of the best band on the planet. While “Hole in the Sky” was a relatively succinct four minutes, the meat of the album contained epic length tracks of 6:29 (“Symptom of the Universe”), 8:43 (“The Writ”) and 9:43 (“Megalomania”). They didn’t have to worry about cutting anything down for the radio. Airplay or not, their fans would buy the album because they were Black Fucking Sabbath. That latter part may have been a miscalculation, as their own We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘n’ Roll stole some thunder, selling 2.1 million to Sabotage’s 560,000. No matter, it would become the favorite of many fans, though I prefer the less brittle, fuzzy sound of their first four albums. Either way, Sabbath ruled. It was just an empirical fact.

Proto-Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Prog | RYM #31 | Acclaimed #68 | AOTY #31

3. Patti Smith – Horses (Arista)

Like Dylan, Patti Smith was very lyric oriented. Except unlike her idols, she couldn’t sing pretty if a gun were held to her head. But that’s okay, because when the actual fuck is garage punk meant to be pretty? Just like the artist, Horses doesn’t need to be conventionally pretty to be iridescent and transcendent. Her cover of Them/Van Morrison’s “Gloria” starts out with a succinct dose of perfect blasphemy (“Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine”) and of the hundreds of covers, ends up topping all of them. “Free Money” is a driving rocker that goes into overdrive on the second half, becoming in turn a popular song for punk bands to cover. The nine-plus minute epics “Birdland” and “Land” glide through the stratosphere and are stunningly beautiful to my ears. “Break it Up” shows a strong presence from Tom Verlaine of Television, who helped write some of the music and contributes guitar on this one. There are no dud tracks here, but as a genre-defying and defining pioneer, Smith was burdened by all kinds of unreasonable expectations to reinvent rock ‘n’ roll. Well guess what ya tossers, she fuckin’ did it, didn’t she? If it wasn’t what you imagined it to be, then start your own band. Which is precisely what happened over the next couple years. The “sea of possibilities” was realized as a massive surge of brilliant punk, new wave and post-punk.

Proto-Punk, Art Rock, Garage Rock, Piano Rock | RYM #8 | Acclaimed #3 | AOTY #2

4. Neu! – Neu! 75 (Brain)

As great as many albums were from 1975, very few escaped that faint whiff of stale gatefold weed and basement mildew. True to their name, Neu! is one still looks and sounds like the future. The minimalist spray-painted logo design of white on black, the succinct song titles, the fat free tracklist. When a bunch of bands discovered kosmische musik and the motorik beat in the ’90s, most of them were directly referencing Neu! Their third album encapsulates their three primary groundbreaking styles. Unfortunately the flow is interrupted by the fact that the duo of Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger split up, and each worked on a side to fulfill label obligations. When I sequence it, the album is bookended at the start (Rother’s “Isi”) and finish (Dinger’s “E-Musik”) each with their version of their famous motorik riddim. Sandwiched inside is the crunchy layer of Dinger’s chugging proto-punk (“After Eight” and “Hero”) with the nastiest vocals anyone’s heard before Johnny Rotten and Chrome. He would go on to expand on this with his brother Thomas in La Düsseldorf. The creamy center consists of Rother’s dreamy ambient space rock (“Seeland” and “Leb’ Wohl”) which he’d continue with a series of fantastic solo albums that integrate his guitar with synths and languid new age.

Kosmische, Ambient, Proto-Punk, Space Rock | RYM #15 | Acclaimed #23 | AOTY #17

5. Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks (Columbia)

I never understood people who didn’t “get” Bob Dylan. So much fuss over his quirky voice and at times surreal lyrics, but when it comes down to it, the dude wrote some brilliant hooky songs and vocal melodies, and he hit all the damn notes. It’s why he’s one of the most covered artists of all time. On the other hand, it seemed he’d lost that magic after John Wesley Harding (1967). But then he went through a divorce, and briefly got his muse back for Blood on the Tracks. While there are instances of ornate imagery and dense metaphors, for the most part it’s more straightforward and emotionally direct than much of his 60s work, effectively relating all the feelings — anger, resentment, regret, longing that comes with a major breakup. I was coincidentally going through my first real breakup when I heard this album, so the timing has permanently left tracks on my brain. Looks like it did the same for a few million other people.

Singer-Songwriter, Folk Rock, Folk. | RYM #2 | Acclaimed #2 | AOTY #1

6. Thin Lizzy – Fighting (Vertigo)

Thin Lizzy make a brilliant case for giving a band time to develop. Like a lot of bands, their sophomore album (Shades of a Blue Orphanage, 1972) was a downgrade of their solid but ordinary blues rock based debut. Vagabonds of the Western World (1973) showed flashes of brilliance, and somewhat laidback Night Life (1974) introduced the lead guitar team of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. Their fifth album takes flight into their imperial period of nearly perfect albums and loads of twin guitar harmonies. It kicks off with a cover of Bob Seger’s “Rosalie” which encapsulates Phil Lynott’s brilliant melding of Van Morrison’s Celtic soul and romanticism with the blue collar storytelling of the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Seger. While they would break big commercially with “The Boys Are Back in Town,” those who circled back to this album would soon learn that Thin Lizzy did not have a single bad song during their 1975-79 peak.

Hard Rock | RYM #96 | AOTY #97

7. Max Romeo & the Upsetters – Revelation Time (Trojan)

Like many reggae stars who broke through to some acclaim and success, Max Romeo had been around a while, recording rocksteady tunes since 1968, when he got a hit right away with the saucy “Wet Dream,” a big influence on the later slack variant of dance hall. He got more serious with Rastafarianism and politics, so by his fourth album he was all in with roots reggae, linking up with producer Clive Hunt and engineer Lee “Scratch” Perry at the perfect time. While his next album produced by Perry, War ina Babylon (1976) would be an all-time classic, this one is nearly as great, with classics like the title track, “No Peace” and “Tacko.” A later reissue by Blood & Fire would add the great track “Fire Fe the Vatican” that’s like a precursor to “Chase the Devil.”

Roots Reggae, Dub | RYM #225

8. Curtis Mayfield – No Place Like America Today (Curtom)

One of the most underrated albums of the seventies, let alone ’75, this is a dark slab of protest soul that should be sitting pretty in between Sly & the Family Stone’s There’s A Riot Goin’ On and Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions. It kicks off immediately with the album’s masterpiece, “Billy Jack,” a slow, simmering funk, the logical conclusion to Mayfield’s cautionary tales on Superfly, it unfolds the gun violence story sluggishly until the climax when the character is “slugged in the stomach.” Mayfield paid keen attention to his peers like Al Green, having drummer Quinton Joseph key off the spare, perfectly in-the-pocket style of Al Jackson Jr., a perfect compliment for Mayfield’s minimalist yet massively powerful guitar lines. In turn, Prince had to have studied the skeletal funk of the likes of “Hard Times” and “Love to the People” as his bible. What’s Going On can fuck itself sideways, this album blows it away.

Soul, Funk, Progressive Soul, Chicago Soul, Psychedelic Soul | RYM #133 | Acclaimed #34 | AOTY #87

9. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (Harvest)

While I have a soft spot for Syd Barret era Pink Floyd, it seems the band does too, devoting their nine-part epic “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” to him. But really, he’s more of a symbolic character here, a cautionary tale of what the uncaring corporate machine that is the music industry can do to a fragile, sensitive artist. As serrated commentary on corporate culture, as adventurous, brilliantly performed and arranged music, it’s nearly perfect, clearly post-Barrett Pink Floyd at their peak. Dark Side of the Moon continued to hog the sales after it’s release, but while it had more concise, easily digestible songs, I always felt the lyrics and special effects were way too on-the-nose and obvious. The band has clearly grown and evolved on this album, and it’s gradually become recognized as such. Not that it hurt for sales, it still sold 24 million.

Prog, Art Rock, Space Rock, Psych | RYM #1 | Acclaimed #7 | AOTY #3

10. Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey (Island)

Jamaica was a very poor country and while a remarkably large percentage of their population (1.8 million in 1970) were involved with music, there wasn’t a lot of money for fancy recording studios, so they made do with whatever could be cobbled together. It’s why singles were still the dominant format into the early 70s, when album was king in North America and the UK. That began to change when Chris Blackwell groomed Bob Marley & the Wailers to be global crossover superstars. There were plenty more artists just as talented, like Burning Spear. While that would eventually become the stage name for Winston Rodney, at the time it encompassed the vocal trio of him, Rupert Willington and Delroy Hinds. While their first two albums were essentially collections of their work with Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One, they were picked up by Island, and with the assistance of producer Jack Ruby, they expanded to a full band dubbed The Black Disciples, including Earl “Chinna” Smith (guitar), Tony Chin (rhythm guitar), Robbie Shakespeare (bass), and a four-piece horn section lead by the legendary Vin Gordon (trombone), with arrangements by Ruby. The result is one of the most defining statements of post-colonial liberation politics and Rastafarian mysticism in Jamaican music. Rodney would become a respected leader and pan-Africanism activist, and it all began with his authoritative and poetic delivery as a griot spreading Marcus Garvey’s message of self-determination on the title track and “Slavery Days.”

Roots Reggae | RYM #89 | Acclaimed #15 | AOTY #15

11. Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (Atlantic)

Led Zeppelin IV and Physical Graffiti were the first two Led Zeppelin albums I owned, getting the vinyl through a record club when I was about in sixth grade. I got the double album thinking I would get more bang for my buck, but I felt it was on the other side of the band’s peak. I wouldn’t say the decline was drastic, as it still made my Lucky 13, but honestly just three tracks are all-time classics — “Kashmir,” “In the Light,” and “Ten Years Gone” and another three are pretty great — “Houses of the Holy,” “Trampled Under Foot” and “Custard Pie.” The rest is filler, many leftovers from previous album sessions of varying quality from good (“Sick Again”) to throwaway (“Boogie With Stu.”). It seems they were inspired by Rolling Stones’ sprawling, murky Exile on Main Street (1972), though interestingly, critical opinion of Physical Graffitti seems to be on the rise in contrast to Exile. I’ve wrestled with that damn album for 44 years, and to it’s credit, it’s crawled it’s way back up my list in recent years.

12. Queen – A Night at the Opera (EMI)

Working my way back from News of the World (1977), which remains my favorite Queen album since I was a kid, I’ve always felt the rest of their catalog was frustratingly patchy. I did not, and never will appreciate their old-timey music hall style novelty numbers, of which there are three on this one. Perhaps it’s to tie in with the reference of the Marx Brothers’ 1935 film of the same title. However, the highlights on this albums are so glorious as to outshine the more workmanlike Styx’s Equinox, for example. Come for the brilliant hits “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “You’re My Best Friend,” stay for “Death on Two Legs” and especially “The Prophet’s Song.” The sea shanty folk of “’39” and choral “Love of My Life” were not normally my wheelhouse, but they’re undeniably well done and moving. This was the sound of Freddie Mercury’s muse untethered, and it’s a damn fun ride. Roger Taylor, via the biopic, asked, “How many more Galileos do you want?” All of them dear, we went them all.

Hard Rock, Art Rock, Glam, Prog Pop, Music Hall | RYM #21 | Acclaimed #5 | AOTY #64

13. Rush – Fly By Night (Mercury)

On Rush’s second album, new guy Neal Peart makes a big impact out the gate, with his virtuoso drumming (he’s not yet superhuman but on his way) elevating the band from fairly derivative hard rock and boogie to a more complex, progressive sound, pretty close to the original, definitive signature style they’d be known for in the second half of the decade. The bookworm (nicknamed Professor) also contributes lyrics, steering them towards sci fi and philosophy. While “Anthem” is a scorching powerhouse that’s not terribly different from “Finding My Way” on the debut, you’re soon immersed in their first prog epic, “By-Tor and the Snow Dog.” It may sound formative, but the parts are all there, and are immensely enjoyable. Probably every Rush fan inflates the importance of this album through the sheer force of obsessive fandom and love. There’s more of us than ever, so might makes right.

Best Sellers

Pink Floyd – Wish (23 million)
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (9.3 M)
Aerosmith – Toys in the Attic (9.1 M)
KISS – Alive! (9 M)
Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run (8 M)
Fleetwood Mac (7.5 M)
Queen – A Night (6 M)
Eagles – One of These Nights (4.6 M)
Wings – Venus & mars (4 M)
Bad Company – Straight Shooter (3.1 M)
Elton John – Captain Fantastic (3.1 M)
Earth, Wind & Fire – Gratitude (3 M)
Bob Dylan – Blood (2.9 M)

Mix: Tida l | Spotify

Brian Eno – Another Green World (EG) | UK
Black Sabbath – Sabotage (WB) | UK
Patti Smith – Horses (Arista) | USA
Neu! – Neu! 75 (Brain) | Germany
Bob Dylan – Blood On The Tracks (Columbia) | USA
Thin Lizzy – Fighting (Vertigo) | UK
Curtis Mayfield – There’s No Place Like America Today (Curtom) | USA
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (Capitol) | UK
Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey (Mango) | Jamaica
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (Atlantic) | UK
Max Romeo & the Upsetters – Revelation Time (Trojan) | Jamaica | Bandcamp
Artful Dodger – Artful Dodger (Columbia) | USA
UFO – Force It (Chrysalis) | UK
Be-Bop Deluxe – Futurama (Harvest) | UK
Van Der Graaf Generator – Godbluff (Charisma) | UK
Queen – A Night At The Opera (Elektra) | UK
Rush – Fly By Night (Mercury) | Canada
Harmonia – Deluxe (Brain) | Germany
Robin Trower – For Earth Below (Chrysalis) | UK
Ian Hunter – Ian Hunter (Columbia) | UK
Tangerine Dream – Rubycon (Virgin) | Germany
Scorpions – In Trance (RCA) | Germany
Funkadelic – Let’s Take It To The Stage (Westbound) | USA | Bandcamp
Parliament – Mothership Connection (Casablanca) | USA
Hawkwind – Warrior On The Edge Of Time (United Artists) | UK
Klaus Schulze – Timewind (Universal) | Germany
Peter Hammill – Nadir’s Big Chance (Blue Plate) | UK
Electric Light Orchestra – Face The Music (Jet) | UK
Neil Young – Tonight’s The Night (Reprise) | Canada
Roxy Music – Siren (Atco ) | UK
10cc – The Original Soundtrack (Mercury) | UK
David Bowie – Young Americans (Virgin) | UK
Joni Mitchell – The Hissing Of Summer Lawns (Asylum) | Canada
Mahavishnu Orchestra – Visions of the Emerald Beyond (Columbia) | UK/USA
Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa 70 – Expensive Shit (Soundsworkshop) | Nigeria | Bandcamp
Heart – Dreamboat Annie (Capitol) | USA
Angel – Angel (Casablanca) | USA
Alice Cooper – Welcome To My Nightmare (WB/Rhino) | USA
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Tomorrow Belongs To Me (Mercury) | UK
Sparks – Indiscreet (Island) | USA
Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run (Columbia) | USA
Betty Davis – Nasty Gal (Just Sunshine/Aztec) | USA
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Nuthin’ Fancy (MCA) | USA
The New Tony Williams Lifetime – Believe It (Columbia) | USA
Armageddon – Armageddon (A&M) | USA
Budgie – Bandolier (MCA) | UK
Crack The Sky – Crack The Sky (Lifesong) | USA
Good Rats – Ratcity in Blue (Ratcity) | USA
Dictators – Go Girl Crazy (Epic) | USA
Camel – The Snow Goose (Deram) | UK
Roy Harper – HQ (Science Friction) | Ireland
John Cale – Helen Of Troy (Island) | UK
John Cale – Slow Dazzle (Island) | UK
Dr. Feelgood – Down By The Jetty (EMI) | UK
Tony Allen – Jealousy (Soundsworkshop) | Nigeria | Bandcamp
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Zuma (Reprise) | Canada
Hatfield And The North – The Rotters’ Club (Esoteric/Virgin) | UK
Gavin Bryars – The Sinking Of The Titanic (Obscure) | USA | Bandcamp
Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa 70 – He Miss Road (Universal) | Nigeria | Bandcamp
Miles Davis – Agharta (Columbia) | USA
Anthony Braxton – Five Pieces 1975 (Arista) | USA
Anthony Braxton – New York, Fall 1974 (Arista) | USA
The Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari – Tales Of Mozambique (Dynamic) | Jamaica
Strawbs – Ghosts (A&M) | UK
Lou Reed – Coney Island Baby (RCA/Legacy) | USA
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Nightingales & Bombers (Bronze) | UK | Bandcamp
Kraftwerk – Radio Activity (Capitol) | Germany
Yabby You & the Prophets – Conquering Lion (Prophets) | Jamaica | Bandcamp
Heldon – Allez Téia (Disjuncta) | France | Bandcamp
Mike Oldfield – Ommadawn (Virgin) | UK
Keith Jarrett – The Köln Concert (ECM) | USA
Ted Nugent – Ted Nugent (Epic) | USA
Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention – One Size Fits All (DiscReet) | USA
Nazareth – Hair Of The Dog (A&M) | UK
Fripp & Eno – Evening Star (EG/Opal Ltd.) | UK
Jacob Miller – Who Say Jah No Dread (Ras) | Jamaica
Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac (WB) | USA/UK
Don Cherry – Brown Rice (EMI/Horizon) | USA
Gentle Giant – Free Hand (Chrysalis) | UK
Chris Squire – Fish Out of Water (Altantic) | UK
ZZ Top – Fandango! (WB) | USA
Robert Wyatt – Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard (Virgin/Thirsty Ear) | UK
Jeff Beck – Blow By Blow (Epic) | UK
Styx – Equinox (A&M) | USA
Charles Mingus – Mingus at Carnegie Hall (Atlantic) | USA
Soft Machine – Bundles (See For Miles ) | UK
Minnie Riperton – Adventures In Paradise (Capitol) | USA
Steve Hillage – Fish Rising (Virgin) | UK
Can – Landed (Spoon) | Germany | Bandcamp
Terje Rypdal – Odyssey (ECM) | Norway
Aerosmith – Toys In The Attic (Columbia) | USA
Popol Vuh – Das Hohelied Salomos (United Artists) | Germany
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes – Visions Of A New World (Flying Dutchman) | USA
Return To Forever – No Mystery (Polydor) | USA
Steve Kuhn – Trance (ECM) | USA
Gary Stewart – Out of Hand (RCA) | USA
Joe Henderson – Canyon Lady (Milestone) | USA
McCoy Tyner – Trident (Milestone) | USA
Bad Company – Straight Shooter (Swan Song) | UK
Guy Clark – Old No. 1 (RCA) | USA

See full list here.

Breakdown: Genre Lists

As always, you can deep dive any of these these genres with the list search. While previously I had limited an album to one genre list, it didn’t accurately reflect the multi-genre nature of many of these albums. So this year an album will show up in multiple lists. I have a widget that automatically pulls from the database, so as albums are added and moved around in the future, this will reflect it.

Psychedelic, Prog Pop & Psych Prog

Hawkwind’s association with sci fi author Michael Moorcock and their epic space opera concepts that flirt with prog drew certain kinds of fans who were then repelled by the fact that the fidelity and Dave Brock’s humble vocal abilities are more aligned with garage rock and proto-punk. And yet, the band seems to get more devoted fans every year, because they continue to tour and produce albums and continue to be megatons of fun. I’ve long believed this, their fifth studio album, is their best. And after years of their double live album Space Ritual (1973) being the only album many owned, critical consensus is finally correcting itself and acknowledging this album’s greatness. It doesn’t hurt that Steven Wilson remastered a deluxe box set in 2013.

Space Rock, Psych, Prog | RYM #67

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (Capitol) | UK
Be-Bop Deluxe – Futurama (Harvest) | UK
Queen – A Night At The Opera (Elektra) | UK
Hawkwind – Warrior On The Edge Of Time (United Artists) | UK
Electric Light Orchestra – Face The Music (Jet) | UK
10cc – The Original Soundtrack (Mercury) | UK
Sparks – Indiscreet (Island) | USA
Armageddon – Armageddon (A&M) | USA
Good Rats – Ratcity in Blue (Ratcity) | USA
Hatfield And The North – The Rotters’ Club (Esoteric/Virgin) | UK
Robert Wyatt – Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard (Virgin/Thirsty Ear) | UK
Styx – Equinox (A&M) | USA
Steve Hillage – Fish Rising (Virgin) | UK

Kosmische & Space Rock

The second installment of the supergroup consisting of Michael Rother from Neu!, Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius from Cluster, and Guru Guru’s drummer Mani Neumeier, with the legendary Conny Plank handling engineering and production. What happens when you merge the propulsion of Neu! with the lush atmospherics of Cluster? A peep through a wormhole into the future of electronic dance music. Even more so than the first album, this is the one that Eno and Bowie copied for side two of Low (1977), and the rest of the world gradually fell in line.

Kosmische, Electronic, Progressive Electronic, Ambient, Berlin School | RYM #103 | AOTY #16

Neu! – Neu! 75 (Brain) | Germany
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (Capitol) | UK
Harmonia – Deluxe (Brain) | Germany
Tangerine Dream – Rubycon (Virgin) | Germany
Hawkwind – Warrior On The Edge Of Time (United Artists) | UK
Klaus Schulze – Timewind (Universal) | Germany
Kraftwerk – Radio Activity (Capitol) | Germany
Heldon – Allez Téia (Disjuncta) | France | Bandcamp
Steve Hillage – Fish Rising (Virgin) | UK
Can – Landed (Spoon) | Germany | Bandcamp
Popol Vuh – Das Hohelied Salomos (United Artists) | Germany
Manuel Göttsching – Ash Ra Tempel VI: Inventions for Electric Guitar (Kosmische) | Germany
Novalis – Novalis (Brain) | Germany

Prog

Those under the illusion that punk killed off prog take lazy third rate journalism too much at face value. Really, you could argue that prog killed punk in a way. Malcolm McLaren tried to spin the coverage of the Sex Pistols to portray them as outlaw thugs, and Johnny Rotten as the potty-mouthed Dickinsonian street urchin. He was pissed with Rotten blew that image apart by serving as a guest DJ one torrid summer night on Jul 16, 1977 (my eighth birthday, coincidentally) for Capital Radio. Through his extensive dialogue and choices of avant-garde rock (Beefheart, German Kosmische, dub reggae, and two cuts from Peter Hammill’s Nadir’s Big Chance — “The Institute of Mental Health, Burning” and “Nobody’s Business”) he revealed himself to be an intellectual with adventurous tastes. This was the beginning of the end of the Sex Pistols, and the seeds for his pioneering post-punk band Public Image Ltd. in less than a year. Even more so than his prog band Van der Graaf Generator, Hammill’s solo albums are dense and forbidding. It’s art rock, but so dark and heavy that it makes Peter Gabriel seem like easy listening. As an influence on Rotten/Lyden, it earns the honorary tag of proto-punk too. In retrospect, it’s the sound of prog bending the emerging punk scene over and making it true to it’s name.

Art Rock, Prog, Proto-Punk | RYM #114 | AOTY #103

Crack The Sky were formed in Ohio, and later based in Baltimore. Their impeccably recorded fusion of art rock, prog pop and hard rock was just catchy enough to get nationwide radio play, though “Ice,” “She’s A Dancer,” and “Surf City” never became hits. With John Palumbo’s similarity of vocal tone to Peter Gabriel’s, one might have almost mistaken some tracks for Gabriel’s first post-Genesis project. Despite Rolling Stone designating their self-titled debut as album of the year, they coasted below the radar throughout their lengthy career. They somewhat strove for an AOR polish, but also steadfastly stuck to art rock experimentation that never manifested in the kind of popularity that Kansas and Styx enjoyed, nor Genesis and Gabriel. Nevertheless, their first album stands the test of time as a lost classic.

Prog, Art Rock, Hard Rock, Glam, Power Pop, Prog Pop, Symphonic Rock | RYM #365 | AOTY #175

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (Capitol) | UK
Van Der Graaf Generator – Godbluff (Charisma) | UK
Peter Hammill – Nadir’s Big Chance (Blue Plate) | UK
Mahavishnu Orchestra – Visions of the Emerald Beyond (Columbia) | UK/USA
Angel – Angel (Casablanca) | USA
Crack The Sky – Crack The Sky (Lifesong) | USA
Camel – The Snow Goose (Deram) | UK
Hatfield And The North – The Rotters’ Club (Esoteric/Virgin) | UK
Strawbs – Ghosts (A&M) | UK
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Nightingales & Bombers (Bronze) | UK | Bandcamp
Mike Oldfield – Ommadawn (Virgin) | UK
Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention – One Size Fits All (DiscReet) | USA
Gentle Giant – Free Hand (Chrysalis) | UK

Glam

Is it possible for a Roxy album to be underrated? If it is, this would be it, as it’s overlooked in favor of the admittedly superior first four albums. But it’s still better than the more universally celebrated Avalon (1982). Rather than going overboard with sophisti-pop camp, this is a consolidation of their strengths, from radio friendly pop rock (“Love is the Drug,” “She Sells”), art rock complexity (“End of the Line,” “Just Another High”) and rockin’ glam (“Whirlwind”). In a bit of an off year for their peers, with Bowie and T. Rex dabbling in soul and funk, Roxy applied that proto-disco funk styling most successfully with “Love is the Drug.”

Art Rock, Glam, Pop Rock, Funk Rock | RYM #155 | Acclaimed #20 | AOTY #24

I’d seen Alice Cooper live a few times, but always as a support act for the likes of Iron Maiden and Motley Crue. I like how he’d charmingly stuck to his old school special effects with the beheading routine and such, rather than going all high tech and fancy. While his entire catalog is interesting, I was mostly a fan of Love it to Death and Killer (1971). However, his first solo album is where all the elements of his particular brand of horror theater came together, better than on the showtune approach on School’s Out (1972). KISS had blown up that year, taking his stagecraft, drenching it in blood and fire and turning it up to 11, but as far as studio albums and just really fun songwriting, Alice Cooper remained the master here.

Hard Rock, Glam, Rock Opera, Dark Cabaret | RYM #82 | Acclaimed Music: #65 | AOTY #82

Eleven years into their career, Long Island’s Good Rats were riding a peak on their third album, headlinging the likes of Madison Square Garden. While Pepi Marchello continued to lead various lineups up until his death in 2013, they just didn’t achieve the same success their former opening bands like Aerosmith, Rush and KISS did. Their peak was arguably their second album, Tasty (1974), but simplifying some of the ambitious psych prog and jazz-rock arrangements should have helped make them more accessible. It’s not like it should be too fancy for the punters, given how Jethro Tull were selling millions of albums. While not quite a classic, it’s an underrated hidden gem worth checking out, with bangers like “Reason to Kill” and “Writing the Pages.” RIYL Family, Streetwalkers, Humble Pie, Catapilla.

Hard Rock, Psych Prog, Glam | RYM #642

Be-Bop Deluxe – Futurama (Harvest) | UK
Ian Hunter – Ian Hunter (Columbia) | UK
Roxy Music – Siren (Atco ) | UK
10cc – The Original Soundtrack (Mercury) | UK
Angel – Angel (Casablanca) | USA
Alice Cooper – Welcome To My Nightmare (WB/Rhino) | USA
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Tomorrow Belongs To Me (Mercury) | UK
Sparks – Indiscreet (Island) | USA
Crack The Sky – Crack The Sky (Lifesong) | USA
Good Rats – Ratcity in Blue (Ratcity) | USA
Dictators – Go Girl Crazy (Epic) | USA
John Cale – Helen Of Troy (Island) | UK
John Cale – Slow Dazzle (Island) | UK

Pub Rock, Rock & Roll & Proto-Punk

The missing link between Neanderthals and early humans, uh, I mean between New York Dolls and Ramones, NYC’s Dictators gleefully reveled in low-brow trash culture and humor, pro-wrestling (singer Handsome Dick Manitoba and Ross the Boss could have been rejects from the NWF), bad TV and comic books, set to a glam crunch with a more simplified, knuckle-dragging sound. They covered “California Sun” two years before the Ramones, took the piss out of Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe,” and generally pushed the boundaries of taste and offensiveness. They actually got better on their subsequent two albums, but were kind of the Rodney Dangerfield of CBGBs punk scene, rarely mentioned alongside the revered names until relatively recently. Pub rockers Dr. Feelgood arguably had more of an artistic impact on punk with their simple, hard and ultra-tight arrangements.

Proto-Punk, Hard Rock, Glam Punk | RYM #536 | Acclaimed #39 | AOTY #21

Patti Smith – Horses (Arista) | USA
Neu! – Neu! 75 (Brain) | Germany
Peter Hammill – Nadir’s Big Chance (Blue Plate) | UK
Dictators – Go Girl Crazy (Epic) | USA
Dr. Feelgood – Down By The Jetty (EMI) | UK
Dr. Feelgood – Malpractice (EMI) | UK
Heavy Metal Kids – Anvil Chorus (Atlantic/Lemon) | UK
Bob Seger – Beautiful Loser (Capitol) | USA
AC/DC – High Voltage (Albert Productions ) | Australia
The Electric Eels – Die Electric Eels (Superior Viaduct) | USA
Kilburn & The High Roads – Handsome (Dawn/Castle ) | UK
The Frankie Miller Band – The Rock (Chrysalis) | UK
Dave Edmunds – Subtle As A Flying Mallet (RCA) | UK

Hard Rock & Proto-Metal

We’ve got a two-fer because I moved the UFO album up past Scorpions. There’s a connection between the bands in shit-hot guitarist Michael Schenker, who bounced between the bands a couple times. He was on the Scorpions’ debut Lonesome Crow (1972), wrote some bits for the follow-up Fly to the Rainbow (1974), but left before recording commenced to usher UFO from their embryonic space rock phase to full-on rock gods on Phenomenon (1974), featuring “Rock Bottom” and the song all Iron Maiden fans know because they play it on the PA before nearly every show — “Doctor, Doctor.” The next album has the band gelling into a finely tuned unit, ripping out a series of bangers from “Shoot Shoot” and “Mother Mary” to the majestic “Out in the Streets.” Phil Mogg’s vocals sound better than ever. Along with Thin Lizzy, UFO deserves to be in the running for one of the greatest hard rock bands in the 70s, definitely more so than those “dolts” in Aerosmith, as my mate called them.

Hard Rock, Proto-Metal | RYM #117 | AOTY #97

On their third album, Scorpions tighten up considerably into the their recognizable, signature hard rock sound with some elements of heavy metal. I know in hindsight people are giving Fly to the Rainbow (1974) another chance, but nothing is as high octane as most of the cuts here, starting with the scorching “Dark Lady.” The aspirational “Top of the Bill,” and “Longing for Fire” all kick major ass. The slower cuts are nearly as strong, and fans of their big power ballad hits in the 80s will be surprised how fully formed they sound here. In 1975 you can’t get much closer to what would be known as heavy metal than them and Sabbath, until Judas Priest showed everyone how it was properly done the next year. A few songs from Rush, Rainbow and Budgie, but for me this is top tier Scorpions which they wouldn’t surpass until Taken By Force (1978).

Hard Rock, Proto-Metal | RYM #99 | AOTY #112

Bubbling Under: Good Rats, Artful Dodger, Dictators, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Bad Company, Moxy, Aerosmith, Robin Trower, KISS, Rainbow, AC/DC, Jethro Tull, Status Quo., More.

Black Sabbath – Sabotage (WB) | UK
Thin Lizzy – Fighting (Vertigo) | UK
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (Atlantic) | UK
Artful Dodger – Artful Dodger (Columbia) | USA
UFO – Force It (Chrysalis) | UK
Queen – A Night At The Opera (Elektra) | UK
Rush – Fly By Night (Mercury) | Canada
Robin Trower – For Earth Below (Chrysalis) | UK
Ian Hunter – Ian Hunter (Columbia) | UK
Scorpions – In Trance (RCA) | Germany
Heart – Dreamboat Annie (Capitol) | USA
Angel – Angel (Casablanca) | USA
Alice Cooper – Welcome To My Nightmare (WB/Rhino) | USA

Blues Rock & Boogie Rock

Talk about being universally loved across the board. I’m not sure that the response at the time was quite so unanimous. After the huge mainstream success of Neil Young’s fourth album, Harvest (1972), Neil Young released a series of sloppy, harrowing daymares (Time Fades Away and On the Beach) and the nightmare that is Tonight’s the Night. Decades later, no one’s whingeing for Harvest II anymore (partly because he served that up dutifully with Harvest Moon in ’92), and now accept his downer rock in all it’s ragged heaviosity.

Singer-Songwriter, Country Rock, Folk Rock, Blues Rock | RYM #9 | Acclaimed #6 | AOTY #6

I started digging into Scottish legend Alex Harvey’s catalog a couple decades ago, and slowly have been appreciating him more. It seems every book I read lately by post-punk pioneers, like Lol Tolhurst (The Cure) and Peter Hook (Joy Division) talked about how they worshipped Harvey and his completely original music hall/cabaret style stage show that skirted between glam, prog and proto-punk, complete with clown make-up and embodying characters like serial killers with complete commitment. While they should have become as successful as Meat Loaf or at least Alice Cooper, Harvey unfortunately was off and on with the band after being hospitalized with a chronic liver condition in 1976, and was gone by 1982. RIYL Alice Cooper, Cockney Rebel, Heavy Metal Kids, Be-Bop Deluxe, Kilburn & the High Roads.

Glam, Blues Rock, Art Rock | RYM #328 | Acclaimed Music: NA | AOTY: NA

Bubbling Under: AC/DC, Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart, Outlaws, Nazareth, Ted Nugent, Grand Funk Railroad, The Kinks, The Frankie Miller Band, Foghat, Tommy Bolin, Brownsville Station, Deep Purple. More.

Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (Atlantic) | UK
Robin Trower – For Earth Below (Chrysalis) | UK
Neil Young – Tonight’s The Night (Reprise) | Canada
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Tomorrow Belongs To Me (Mercury) | UK
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Nuthin’ Fancy (MCA) | USA
John Cale – Helen Of Troy (Island) | UK
Dr. Feelgood – Down By The Jetty (EMI) | UK
Ted Nugent – Ted Nugent (Epic) | USA
Nazareth – Hair Of The Dog (A&M) | UK
ZZ Top – Fandango! (WB) | USA
Aerosmith – Toys In The Attic (Columbia) | USA
Bad Company – Straight Shooter (Swan Song) | UK
Dr. Feelgood – Malpractice (EMI) | UK

Avant, Experimental, Modern Classical, Drone

Dismissed by some, especially King Crimson fans, as a kooky curiosity between their god Robert Fripp and Roxy Music’s feather-adorned non-musician Brian Eno, their two collaboration has grown leaps in bounds in stature over the years. Fripp’s groundbreaking approach to tape loops, Frippertronics used the first real-time tape looping device built on ideas from early 60s experimental composers Terry Riley and Pauline Oliveros, was used throughout, augmented by Eno on keys. While the first side resembles Eno’s ambient experiments, the second side-long track, “An Index of Metals” became a big influence on drone metal three decades later.

Ambient, Drone, Tape Music, Dark Ambient | RYM #149 | AOTY #57

Brian Eno – Another Green World (EG) | UK
Heldon – Allez Téia (Disjuncta) | France | Bandcamp
Fripp & Eno – Evening Star (EG/Opal Ltd.) | UK
Heldon – Third (It’s Always Rock and Roll) (Disjuncta) | France | Bandcamp
The Electric Eels – Die Electric Eels (Superior Viaduct) | USA
Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart – Bongo Fury (Rykodisc) | USA
Ned Lagin – Seastones (Round) | USA
Takehisa Kosugi – Catch-Wave (CBS/Sway) | Japan
Electric Eels – Having A Philosophical Investigation With The Electric Eels (Tinnitus ) | USA
Lou Reed – Metal Machine Music (RCA) | USA

Ambient & New Age

After the runaway success of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells (1973), Richard Branson signed German kosmische pioneers Tangerine Dream, funding their acquisition of the latest and greatest analog synthesizers and making sounds that no one except perhaps György Ligeti had imagined before. While fifth album Phaedra (1974) is considered the band’s pinnacle of the Berlin School of electronic music, creating layers upon layers of atmospheric textures from a variety of devices, including Edgar Froese’s trusty Mellotron, Chris Franke’s moog and Peter Baumann’s organ, prepared piano and arp, Rubycon is an extension of that peak, with one track divided between album sides. I can imagine their practice space looking like a lab out of a sci fi film, with a side hustle in ghost hunting.

Electronic, Berlin School, Ambient | RYM #53 | Acclaimed #54 | AOTY #77

Brian Eno – Another Green World (EG) | UK
Neu! – Neu! 75 (Brain) | Germany
Harmonia – Deluxe (Brain) | Germany
Tangerine Dream – Rubycon (Virgin) | Germany
Mike Oldfield – Ommadawn (Virgin) | UK
Fripp & Eno – Evening Star (EG/Opal Ltd.) | UK
Soft Machine – Bundles (See For Miles ) | UK
Terje Rypdal – Odyssey (ECM) | Norway
Popol Vuh – Das Hohelied Salomos (United Artists) | Germany
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes – Visions Of A New World (Flying Dutchman) | USA
Jade Warrior – Waves (Island) | UK
Ralph Towner – Solstice (ECM) | USA
Edgar Froese – Epsilon in Malaysian Pale (Virgin) | Germany

Art Rock & Pop

Since I first included Be-Bop Deluxe in a Between the Cracks feature sixteen years ago about bands that didn’t quite find the audience they deserved, the band experienced a bit of a resurgence, with the vinyl community seeking out their records, then Esoteric putting out four disc box sets of the albums, like Futurama in 2019. Are they glam, art rock, prog? No one cares, they’re here for guitar virtuoso Bill Nelson, who’s playing teeters ever so close to the edge of being overly busy and noodly, but never falls down. The sprawling “Sound Track” sounds hints at some anthemic melodic choruses early on, but then becomes a showcase for guitar shredding. That’s alright by me, as there’s more hooking tunes here than on Axe Victim (1974) including the catchy glam rocker “Maid in Heaven,” and “Love with the Madman” with ambitious arrangements stacking piano and strings without sounding cluttered, thanks to producer Roy Thomas Baker (Queen). While they share stylistic building blocks with Roxy Music, there are plenty of soulful moments that remind me of Thin Lizzy. They may not have rocked stadiums, but they deserve to rub shoulders with all the A-listers.

Art Rock, Glam, Prog Pop | RYM #303

Bubbling under: 10cc, Crack The Sky, John Cale, Van Der Graaf Generator, Gavin Bryars, Robert Wyatt, Steve Hackett, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, Heavy Metal Kids, Phil Manzanera. | More.

Brian Eno – Another Green World (EG) | UK
Patti Smith – Horses (Arista) | USA
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (Capitol) | UK
Be-Bop Deluxe – Futurama (Harvest) | UK
Van Der Graaf Generator – Godbluff (Charisma) | UK
Queen – A Night At The Opera (Elektra) | UK
Peter Hammill – Nadir’s Big Chance (Blue Plate) | UK
Electric Light Orchestra – Face The Music (Jet) | UK
Roxy Music – Siren (Atco ) | UK
10cc – The Original Soundtrack (Mercury) | UK
Joni Mitchell – The Hissing Of Summer Lawns (Asylum) | Canada
Alice Cooper – Welcome To My Nightmare (WB/Rhino) | USA
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Tomorrow Belongs To Me (Mercury) | UK

Global, Reggae, Dub & Afrobeat

Between 1971 and 1979, everything Fela Kuti released was great. The fact that Zombie (1977) was the go-to album for critics, until it wasn’t and Expensive Shit became the top choice, illustrates how completely arbitrary it is. The king of Afrobeat released six albums in 1975 alone, and all of them are worth hearing — they’re all available on Bandcamp now. Probably the differentiating factor is simply the stories behind the albums. Some are tragic and dramatic, others are somehwat lighter, like this one, where Kuti was arrested on drug possession, but he ate the weed that was on him. He paid another prisoner to swap his poo for his when they tested it for the illicit substance, hence the album title. And yet, had he not succeeded, he may well have died in prison. Such was the chaotic and rebellious life of Fela.

Afrobeat, Jazz-Funk | RYM #4 | Acclaimed #56 | AOY #33

Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey (Mango) | Jamaica
Max Romeo & the Upsetters – Revelation Time (Trojan) | Jamaica | Bandcamp
Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa 70 – Expensive Shit (Soundsworkshop) | Nigeria | Bandcamp
Tony Allen – Jealousy (Soundsworkshop) | Nigeria | Bandcamp
Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa 70 – He Miss Road (Universal) | Nigeria | Bandcamp
The Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari – Tales Of Mozambique (Dynamic) | Jamaica
Yabby You & the Prophets – Conquering Lion (Prophets) | Jamaica | Bandcamp
Jacob Miller – Who Say Jah No Dread (Ras) | Jamaica
Ferry Djimmy & His Djikins – Rythm Revolution (Acid Jazz) | Nigeria | Bandcamp
Jorge Ben – Solta o pavão (Philips) | Brazil
Gilberto Gil & Jorge Ben – Ogum Xangô (Philips) | Brazil
Fela Kuti – Noise For Vendor Mouth (Universal) | Nigerial | Bandcamp
Fela Kuti – Everything Scatter (Universal) | Nigeria | Bandcamp

Electronic

Kraftwerk’s fifth album, sandwiched between Autobahn (1974) and Trans Europe Express (1977) is somewhat overlooked, as there’s a lot of short, pure electronic experimental pieces in between songs like “Radioland”, “Antenne”, “Transistor”, “Ohm Sweet Ohm”. But it’s essential listening for anyone interested in groundbreaking electronic music and it’s reverberations from synthpop, New Wave, New Romantic up through IDM.

Electronic, Progressive Electronic, Synthpop, Minimal Synth | RYM #153 | Acclaimed #24 | AOTY #118

Harmonia – Deluxe (Brain) | Germany
Tangerine Dream – Rubycon (Virgin) | Germany
Klaus Schulze – Timewind (Universal) | Germany
Kraftwerk – Radio Activity (Capitol) | Germany
Heldon – Allez Téia (Disjuncta) | France | Bandcamp
Heldon – Third (It’s Always Rock and Roll) (Disjuncta) | France | Bandcamp
Tangerine Dream – Ricochet (Virgin) | Germany
Manuel Göttsching – Ash Ra Tempel VI: Inventions for Electric Guitar (Kosmische) | Germany
Jan Hammer – The First Seven Days (Atlantic) | Czechia
Edgar Froese – Epsilon in Malaysian Pale (Virgin) | Germany
Vangelis – Heaven and Hell (RCA) | Greece
Roberto Cacciapaglia – Sonanze (PDU) | Italy
Lard Free – I’m Around About Midnight (Vamp) | France | Bandcamp

R&B & Soul

Funkadelic gets the edge here over the more highly regarded Parliament album because I prefer Funkadelic’s more eclectic approach to psychedelic rock, soul and funk. The sisterfromanothamister album Mothership Connection may have a more consistently boingy groove, but I like it when Funkadelic gets deeply weird — a guarantee on every album, such as the dirgey “Baby I Owe You Something Good” that sounds like Emerson Lake & Palmer trying their hand at a power ballad. Bernie Worrell geeks out on analog synths on “Atmosphere,” sort of their cartoonish response to German kosmische musik. My favorites are the opener “Good to Your Earhole” and “Stuffs and Things” — both the vibe and harmony vocals were a big influence on Fishbone. Who are we kidding, it influenced practically everything. “Get Off Your Ass and Jam” is the big dumb anthem that deserves to replace KISS’s “Rock and Roll All Nite” as THE party song of 1975.

P-Funk, Funk, Psychedelic Soul, Progressive Soul | RYM #188 | AOTY #83

Bubbling under: The Undisputed Truth, Gary Wright, Tower Of Power, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Parliament, Average White Band, Tim Maia, WAR, Roberta Flack, The O’Jays, The Staple Singers & Curtis Mayfield, Smokey Robinson, Labelle, Robert Palmer. | More.

Curtis Mayfield – There’s No Place Like America Today (Curtom) | USA
Funkadelic – Let’s Take It To The Stage (Westbound) | USA | Bandcamp
David Bowie – Young Americans (Virgin) | UK
Betty Davis – Nasty Gal (Just Sunshine/Aztec) | USA
Dr. Feelgood – Down By The Jetty (EMI) | UK
Minnie Riperton – Adventures In Paradise (Capitol) | USA
Yvonne Fair – The Bitch is Black (Motown) | USA
Dr. Feelgood – Malpractice (EMI) | UK
The Meters – Fire On The Bayou (Reprise) | USA
The Isley Brothers – The Heat Is On (T-Neck/Epic) | USA
Robert Palmer – Pressure Drop (Island) | UK
Tina Turner – Acid Queen (Fame) | USA
Esther Phillips – What A Diff’rence A Day Makes (Kudu) | USA

Disco & Funk

While Funkadelic and Parliament were basically the same band for the first half of the decade, Parliament started to be more easily distinguished with the funky synths courtesy of Bernie Worrell, and Bootsy Collins featured more prominently. Chocolate City, which came out early in the year in March, made some progress, but man, there’s too much talky talky. If the vocals at least interacted with the rhythms more (e.g. rap), it would be less distracting in a party situation. But despite the loquacious intro “P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)”, they sink the funk in the pocket on tracks like “Unfunky UFO” and “Give up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)” and you’re shaking your ass with rainbow colored aliens. Who needs drugs, P-Funk is enough. It’s their most highly rated album (I like Funkentelechy vs. The Placebo Syndrome a touch more), and ultimately deserving of it’s landmark status.

P-Funk, Synth Funk, Progressive Soul. | RYM #10 | Acclaimed #8 | AOTY #5

Curtis Mayfield – There’s No Place Like America Today (Curtom) | USA
Parliament – Mothership Connection (Casablanca) | USA
David Bowie – Young Americans (Virgin) | UK
Betty Davis – Nasty Gal (Just Sunshine/Aztec) | USA
Yvonne Fair – The Bitch is Black (Motown) | USA
Donald Byrd – Places And Spaces (Blue Note) | USA
The Meters – Fire On The Bayou (Reprise) | USA
The Isley Brothers – The Heat Is On (T-Neck/Epic) | USA
Robert Palmer – Pressure Drop (Island) | UK
Ferry Djimmy & His Djikins – Rythm Revolution (Acid Jazz) | Nigeria | Bandcamp
Esther Phillips – What A Diff’rence A Day Makes (Kudu) | USA
Parliament – Chocolate City (Casablanca) | USA
Bobby Womack – I Don’t Know What the World Is Coming To (United Artists) | USA

Jazz-Funk & Soul Jazz

While I bought this album decades ago, I overlooked it in favor of the more famous initial supergroup lineup of Mahavishnu Orchestra with Billy Cobham and Jan Hammer. However, John McLaughlin always had A-list musicians, this time including Jean-Luc Ponty. This measures up well next to their first two more celebrated albums, but leaning more toward jazz-funk. Half a century later it still feels fresh and exciting.

Jeff Beck’s Blow By Blow was featured on a late night show I was listening to on public radio when I was a kid, so for a few years I thought he was just a jazz fusion guy before I knew he was once in the Yardbirds, let alone all his other classic rock legacy. I like jazz-funk but usually can’t make it through an entire album, but Blow By Blow is pretty special. He has the jazz shops of an old pro, groove, but also the restless impatience of a rocker who wants to keep throwing in the changes to keep us guessing. The result is possibly his best album.

Jazz-Rock, Jazz-Funk, Jazz Fusion, Funk Rock | RYM #80 | Acclaimed #31 | AOTY #44

Bubbling under: Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson, Weather Report, Azymuth, Return to Forever, Tower of Power, Johnny Hammond, Cortex, The J.B.’s, Guru Guru, The Lyman Woodard Organization, Oneness of Juju, WAR, Eddie Henderson, The Headhunters, Bobbi Humphrey, Marcus Belgrave, George Duke, Masaru Imada Trio + 2, The Blackbyrds, Masekela, Marion Brown, David Axelrod, Willie bobo and the Bo-Gents, Roy Ayers Ubiquity, The Crusaders, Joe Farrell, Soul Media, Al Jarreau, Embryo. | More

Mahavishnu Orchestra – Visions of the Emerald Beyond (Columbia) | UK/USA
Miles Davis – Agharta (Columbia) | USA
Jeff Beck – Blow By Blow (Epic) | UK
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes – Visions Of A New World (Flying Dutchman) | USA
Return To Forever – No Mystery (Polydor) | USA
Donald Byrd – Places And Spaces (Blue Note) | USA
Lenny White – Venusian Summer (Nemporer) | USA
Alphonse Mouzon – Mind Transplant (Blue Note) | USA
Herbie Hancock – Flood (CBS) | USA
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes – Expansions (RCA) | USA
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Midnight Band: The First Minute of a New Day (Arista) | USA
Kool & The Gang – Spirit of the Boogie (De-Lite) | USA
Oliver Nelson – Skull Session (Flying Dutchman) | USA

Jazz & Fusion

For a long time those only casually listening to Joni were only aware of Blue (1971) and probably “Help Me” from Court and Spark (1974). But Joni Mitchell wasn’t just part of the Laurel Canyon folk scene. She was an adventurous maverick. It took years for most of her audience to appreciate and recognize her pioneering work fusing her folk pop with jazz has grown. This was a transitional album between Spark and Hejira (1976), but stands up on it’s own as a great piece of art that rewards not only multiple listens, but decades of listening.

Singer-Songwriter, Jazz Pop, Folk Pop, Art Pop, Prog Pop | RYM #18 | Acclaimed #14 | AOTY #20

For a long time it seems Jazz Fusion and Jazz-Rock had a bad rep from both sides. The jazz purists had a hard time accepting the evolution of this great American art form being tainted by soul, funk and rock, while the general public, who had a hard enough time digesting jazz beyond A Kind of Blue found it difficult listening. Artists like Tony Williams must have had to rely on clubs in the largest cities for gigs, and probably Europe kept food on their table. I admit that I bought the CD reissue of Emergency! (1969) in the 90s, and found it impressive, but wasn’t inspired to return to it often, so I never got around to the even more highly rated Believe It until now. A growing community of metalheads weaned on John Zorn’s Naked City projects, Bill Frisell and death metal bands like Cynic and Atheist incorporating fusion has spurred a growing interest in this music, as it should.

Jazz Fusion, Jazz-Rock | RYM #75

Bubbling under: Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Cecil Taylor, Jan Hammer, Quiet Sun, Modry Efekt & Radim Hladík, Grover Washington Jr., Weather Report, The Modern Jazz Quartet, Azymuth, Return to Forever, Cortex, Gong. | More

Joni Mitchell – The Hissing Of Summer Lawns (Asylum) | Canada
Mahavishnu Orchestra – Visions of the Emerald Beyond (Columbia) | UK/USA
The New Tony Williams Lifetime – Believe It (Columbia) | USA
Miles Davis – Agharta (Columbia) | USA
Anthony Braxton – Five Pieces 1975 (Arista) | USA
Anthony Braxton – New York, Fall 1974 (Arista) | USA
Keith Jarrett – The Köln Concert (ECM) | USA
Don Cherry – Brown Rice (EMI/Horizon) | USA
Jeff Beck – Blow By Blow (Epic) | UK
Charles Mingus – Mingus at Carnegie Hall (Atlantic) | USA
Soft Machine – Bundles (See For Miles ) | UK
Terje Rypdal – Odyssey (ECM) | Norway
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes – Visions Of A New World (Flying Dutchman) | USA

Pop

It’s hard to imagine a time when Heart weren’t already big stars with their staples well established on FM radio. The sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson from Vancouver released their debut album on indie label Mushroom in September 1975 in Canada only. It was re-issued worldwide in March of the next year, and probably aided by the success of the singles “Magic Man” and “Crazy On You,” was picked up by Capitol. Those who picked up the album for the Led Zeppelin inspired hard rock anthems may have been surprised to find a lot of folk rock on the rest. Good thing they invested their considerable talents with just as much passion, playing multiple instruments from flute, mandolin, Mellotron to even a dulcimer, and progressive arrangements as sophisticated as Joni Mitchell. These women were the real deal, ready to rock stadiums with all the other classic rock gods.

Pop Rock, Folk Rock, Hard Rock, Prog | RYM #136 | AOTY #28

Artful Dodger – Artful Dodger (Columbia) | USA
Electric Light Orchestra – Face The Music (Jet) | UK
Roxy Music – Siren (Atco ) | UK
10cc – The Original Soundtrack (Mercury) | UK
David Bowie – Young Americans (Virgin) | UK
Heart – Dreamboat Annie (Capitol) | USA
John Cale – Slow Dazzle (Island) | UK
Lou Reed – Coney Island Baby (RCA/Legacy) | USA
Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac (WB) | USA/UK
Minnie Riperton – Adventures In Paradise (Capitol) | USA
Steely Dan – Katy Lied (MCA) | USA
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel – The Best Years Of Our Lives (EMI) | UK
Robert Palmer – Pressure Drop (Island) | UK

AOR & Soft Rock

For years Angel was more of a curiosity for me, a band that signed to Casablanca and suffered from all the promotional resources being sucked up by KISS. The band’s stage show and all-white outfits may have needed a rethink, but their flamboyant music mixing prog, glam and hard rock was wildly entertaining and the musicianship is spot on. It’s front loaded with two classic, seven minute epics, “Tower” and “Long Time” that have been hitting the right pleasure buttons for me more often in recent years. RIYL Styx, Legs Diamond, Queen.

Hard Rock, Prog, Glam, AOR | RYM #275

Angel – Angel (Casablanca) | USA
Lou Reed – Coney Island Baby (RCA/Legacy) | USA
Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac (WB) | USA/UK
Styx – Equinox (A&M) | USA
Wings – Venus and Mars (Capitol) | UK
Kansas – Song For America (Kirschner/Epic) | USA
Eagles – One Of These Nights (Asylum) | USA
Poco – Head Over Heels (MCA) | USA
Gary Wright – The Dream Weaver (WB) | USA
Joan Baez – Diamonds & Rust (A&M) | USA
Spirit – Son of Spirit (Mercury) | USA
Kansas – Masque (Kirschner/Epic) | USA
Linda Ronstadt – Prisoner in Disguise (Asylum) | USA

Folk & Americana

Rock fans will recognize Roy Harper’s name from Led Zeppelin’s tribute to him on III. He also played on both Physical Graffiti and Wish You Were Here that year. That kind of publicity boost could send many artists crossing over into the mainstream, but Harper’s brand or progressive folk is a bit too unwieldy for a mass audience, with his album bookended by the 13:42 long epic “The Game” and the 7:14 long “When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease.” I’m sure he wasn’t bothered. It was his eighth album, so he wasn’t expecting sudden overnight success. But those who follow him know that it’s part of a remarkable run of nine great albums.

Progressive Folk, Prog, Folk Rock | RYM #232 | Acclaimed #97

Bob Dylan – Blood On The Tracks (Columbia) | USA
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (Atlantic) | UK
Neil Young – Tonight’s The Night (Reprise) | Canada
Joni Mitchell – The Hissing Of Summer Lawns (Asylum) | Canada
Heart – Dreamboat Annie (Capitol) | USA
Roy Harper – HQ (Science Friction) | Ireland
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Zuma (Reprise) | Canada
Strawbs – Ghosts (A&M) | UK
Richard & Linda Thompson – Pour Down Like Silver (Hannibal) | UK
Jethro Tull – Minstrel In The Gallery (Chrysalis) | UK
Joan Armatrading – Back to the Night (A&M) | UK
John Martyn – Live At Leeds (Island) | Ireland
Richard & Linda Thompson – Hokey Pokey (Hannibal) | UK

Bubbling under: Kebnekaise, Hedgehog Pie, Steeleye Span, Ted Lucas, James Talley, Allen Touissant, Joan Baez, Spriguns Of Tolgus, Van Dyke Parks. | More.

Country, Country Blues/Psych/Rock/Soul

It almost isn’t fair, Neil Young already has one of the most highly regarded albums of the year in Tonight’s the Night, then he pops another one off with Crazy Horse with more crunchy guitar work, including the epic “Cortez the Killer.” In hindsight, we know that Young was practicing a lot of restraint, as he could have released another three or four albums that year.

Folk Rock, Country Rock, Hard Rock | RYM #12 | Acclaimed #26 | AOTY #29

I did a search on RYM using the Swamp Rock genre tag and found Travis Wammack’s Not For Sale. He’d been doing music since the 50s, dabbling in Rockabilly, Blues Rock, Garage, Surf, Soul, Hard Rock, Country Rock and Southern Rock as well as Swamp Rock. He’s quite the undersung legend, as the first person ever to build a homemade fuzz tone box for his 1961 single “Scratchy,” which earned him the nickname. Gibson later asked him to endorse their own line, but he declined. He grew up in Memphis, playing gigs with all the Sun Records artists and recorded his first single at the ripe old age of eleven. He played with Little Richard, and for a decade was a session player for Rick Hall at Fame Studios, playing on sessions for Mac Davis, Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin. He finally released his self-titled debut solo album in 1972, followed by this album, a lost gem for sure.

Southern Rock, Swamp Rock, Blues Rock, Country Rock | RYM #1,514

Neil Young – Tonight’s The Night (Reprise) | Canada
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Zuma (Reprise) | Canada
Gary Stewart – Out of Hand (RCA) | USA
Guy Clark – Old No. 1 (RCA) | USA
Travis Wammack – Not For Sale (Capricorn) | USA
Jinx – Jinx (Private Stock) | USA
Mallard – Mallard (Virgin) | USA
Waylon Jennings – Dreaming My Dreams (RCA) | USA
Willie Nelson – Red Headed Stranger (Columbia) | USA
Emmylou Harris – Elite Hotel (WB) | USA
Outlaws – Outlaws (Arista) | USA
The Charlie Daniels Band – Nightrider (Kama Sutra) | USA
Eagles – One Of These Nights (Asylum) | USA

Live Albums

Unlike most rock bands, jazz musicians often create completely new creative works on live albums. Even when they do a version of a studio track, it’s often improvised to the point where it’s nearly unrecognizable, such as Miles Davis’ version of “Maiysha” from Get Up With It (1974). The jazz-funk is slower and more sinister. The result is a candidate for one of his best albums of the decade.

Jazz Fusion, Jazz-Funk, Avant-Jazz, Jazz-Rock, Psych, Experimental, Deep Funk | RYM #677 | Acclaimed #77 | AOTY #2

Miles Davis – Agharta (Columbia) | USA
Keith Jarrett – The Köln Concert (ECM) | USA
Charles Mingus – Mingus at Carnegie Hall (Atlantic) | USA
Herbie Hancock – Flood (CBS) | USA
KISS – Alive! (Mercury) | USA
Tangerine Dream – Ricochet (Virgin) | Germany
McCoy Tyner – Atlantis (Milestone) | USA
Magma – Magma Live (Utopia) | France
Cecil Taylor – Silent Tongues (Freedom) | USA
Tom Waits – Nighthawks At The Diner (Elektra) | USA
John Martyn – Live At Leeds (Island) | Ireland
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Live (Vertigo) | UK
Sweet – Strung Up (RCA) | UK

Singles

In tribute to all the vinyl community YouTubers who have been entertaining me while I cook and clean up in the kitchen, I made a list of the the coolest singles as actual singles, not just favorite tracks (which you can find in the playlist). I did own the Television and Pere Ubu singles at one time, but stupidly sold them for way too little in the 90s. Not only are they a hint of the new wave to come, they also basically leapfrog punk, which technically hasn’t been documented yet aside from a handful of shows at CBGBs, right into post-punk. Down in Jamaica, reggae was also gearing up for an all-time great year in 1976.

Television – “Little Johnny Jewel (Part One) / (Part Two)” (Ork)
Pere Ubu – “30 Seconds Over Tokyo / Heart of Darkness” (Hearpin)
Roky Erickson & Bleibalien = “Red Temple Prayer (Two Headed Dog) / Starry Eyes” (Mars)
Neu! – “Isi / After Eight” (United Artists)
Patti Smith – “Gloria” (Arista)
Augustus Pablo – “King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown / Baby I Love You So” (Island)
AC/DC – “Jailbreak / Fling Thing” (Albert)
Brian Eno – “The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) / I’ll Come Running (To Tie Your Shoes)” (Island)
Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa 70 – “Expensive Shit / Water No Get Enemy”
Max Romeo – “Revelation Time / Hammer & Sickle” (Black Time)
Burning Spear – “Marcus Garvey / Version” (Fox)
Sweet – “Action / Sweet F.A.” (RCA)
Hawkwind – “Kings of Speed / Motorhead” (United Artists)

Movies

A hugely entertaining movie that melds glam rock with a cross-dressing Charles Addams, The Rocky Horror Picture Show gradually became a midnight movie cult phenomenon with ritualized audience participation. Tim Curry’s gender-bending Dr. Frank-N-Furter drew a big LGBTQ+ community following, and it’s aged well. The tunes are still great, and it’s still creepy yet sexy no matter what your orientation. If only musicals today could be half as witty and decadent.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show – Jim Sharman (comedy/musical)
Love and Death – Woody Allen (comedy)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail – Terry Gilliam (comedy)
The Magic Flute – Ingmar Bergman (fantasy)
Nashville – Robert Altman (drama)
Shampoo – Hal Ashby (comedy)
The Passenger – Michaelangelo Antonioni (drama)
Barry Lyndon – Stanley Kubrick (drama)
Dog Day Afternoon – Sidney Lumet (action/thriller)
Jaws – Steven Spielberg (thriller/horror)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Milos Forman (drama)
Night Moves – Arthur Penn (crime/mystery/thriller)
Three Days of the Condor – Sydney Pollack (thriller)

Bubbling under: Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Man Who Would be King, Seven Beauties, The Day of the Locust, Hester Street, A Boy and His Dog, Rollerball, The Return of the Pink Panther, Cat and Mouse.

Television

I may not have been buying records or going to the movie theater at the time, as I only turned six in the middle of 1975, but I sure as hell was watching Saturday morning TV! My favorite was channel 44, Chicago’s WSNS, which I somehow got way over in Dubuque, IA. It showed reruns on Japanese shows like Speed Racer, Space Giants, and Ultraman, which also included new episodes as Ultraman: Leo.

Ultraman
Space: 1999
Doctor Who
The Six Million Dollar Man
Sesame Street
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
Saturday Night Live
The Electric Company
The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show
Hong Kong Phooey
The Great Grape Ape Show
The Tom and Jerry Show
The Bionic Woman

Bubbling Under: Return to the Planet of the Apes, Goldorak, The Ghost Busters, Rhoda, Laverne & Shirley, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Starsky & Hutch, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times, The Bob Newhart Show, The Carol Burnett Show, Kojak, The Streets of San Francisco. Plus reruns of Space Giants, Speed Racer and The Beatles on Channel 44!

Books

Antonio Gramsci was an Italian Marxist who was imprisoned for twenty years by the Mussolini regime. It’s an amazing document of his intellectual legacy, ranging from philosophy, political theory, sociology, history, and linguistics. One of his most enduring concepts is cultural hegemony, which would reverberate decades later in the work of post-structuralists and linguist turned political critic Noam Chomsky. Here’s my attempt at a brief description. Hegemonic culture is ultimately the ensemble of material and cultural practices that reinforce the belief systems embraced by the power elite, as to so firmly entrench it that it is seen as the all-encompassing truth, instead of merely one version of the truth. Cultural hegemony is a belief system that is largely an unrecognized, covert form of power. Obviously this is more relevant than ever today.

So why are they the top of the 1975 list? After the notebooks were smuggled out of prison in the 1930s, they were curated by the Gramsci Foundation and first published in 1947. But 1975 was the first time an English translation (by the Scottish poet and folklorist Hamish Henderson) was published, sparking renewed interest from English speaking scholars, and gradually permeating mainstream culture, inspiring many to take part in the efforts of counterhegemony.

Antonio Gramsci – The Prison Notebooks 1929-35
J.G. Ballard – High-Rise
Samuel R. Delaney – Dhalgren
E.L. Doctorow – Ragtime
Michel Foucault – Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison
Milan Kundera – The Book Of Laughter And Forgetting
Natalie Babbitt – Tuck Everlasting
Stephen King – Salem’s Lot
Judith Rossner – Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Gabriel Garcia Marquez – The Autumn of the Patriarch
P.D. James – The Black Tower (Adam Dalgliesh #5)
Tom Wolfe – From Bauhaus to Our House
Thomas Harris – The Silence of the Lambs (Hannible Lecter #2)

Bubbling Under: Charles Bukowski, Roger Zelazny, Colin Dexter, L. Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt, Jack Vance.

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