An Album A Year 1963-2013

Flavorwire has collated a list of the best albums released in 50 years. These albums must be listened to from start to finish. They are to be viewed as projects intended to present themselves as meticulous collections organized with furtive intent. You are not to "shuffle" arond with these pieces of work, you are to let them tell their story from beginning to end without disruption and interference.

And now, here they are.

1963: James Brown — Live at the Apollo

1964: Nina Simone — In Concert

1965: John Coltrane — A Love Supreme

1966: Bob Dylan — Blonde on Blonde

1967: Leonard Cohen — Songs of Leonard Cohen

1968: Johnny Cash — At Folsom Prison

1969: The Velvet Underground — The Velvet Underground

1970: The Stooges — Fun House

1971: Sly and the Family Stone — There’s a Riot Goin’ On

1972: Can — Ege Bamyasi

1973: Brian Eno — Here Come the Warm Jets

1974: Betty Davis — They Say I’m Different

1975: Patti Smith — Horses

1976: Ramones — Ramones

1977: David Bowie — Low

1978: X-Ray Spex — Germfree Adolescents

1979: The Clash — London Calling1980: Fela Kuti — Coffin for Head of State

1981: The Gun Club — Fire of Love

1982: Michael Jackson — Thriller

1983: Tom Waits — Swordfishtrombones

1984: This Mortal Coil — It’ll End in Tears

1985: Kate Bush — Hounds of Love

1986: Throwing Muses — Throwing Muses

1987: Prince — Sign ‘O’ the Times

1988: Sonic Youth — Daydream Nation

1989: Janet Jackson — Rhythm Nation 1814

1990: Public Enemy — Fear of a Black Planet

1991: Massive Attack —Blue Lines

1992: L7 — Bricks Are Heavy

1993: Nirvana — In Utero

1994: Nas — Illmatic

1995: Radiohead — The Bends

1996: Manic Street Preachers — Everything Must Go

1997: Spiritualized — Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space

1998: Neutral Milk Hotel — In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

1999: Mos Def — Black on Both Sides

2000: At the Drive-In — Relationship of Command

2001: Missy Elliott — Miss E… So Addictive

2002: William Basinksi — The Disintegration Loops

2003: Cat Power — You Are Free

2004: Electrelane — The Power Out

2005: Fiona Apple — Extraordinary Machine

2006: Joanna Newsom — Ys

2007: of Montreal — Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

2008: Portishead — Third

2009: Fever Ray — Fever Ray

2010: Janelle Monáe — The ArchAndroid

2011: Lost Animal — Lost Animal — Ex-Tropical

2012: Swans — The Seer

2013 (thus far): Standish/Carlyon — Deleted Scenes


FLAVORWIRE - 50 ALBUMS