I would go for '86.
Brotherhood/BLT :)
Synth pop was at its peak, hi-nrg was merging in to house and rock n pop was pretty decent too.
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Best year for music and why?
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1988 - New Kids On the Block - Hangin' Tough
Nothing that kualitie has been before or ever since
1827 was a great year. They just didn't have records yet. Glokenspiel acid house had all of Europe raving all night with bread yeast acid. Too bad they didn't have recordings or youtube videos yet.
I agree with 1986.
Black Celebration is an obvious album. So should be Scoundrel Days and Once Upon A Time.
The Swiss duo Double had a brilliant romantic album called... Blue. The perfect soundtrack if you ever want to entertain the opposite sex.
But have any of you heard the 1986 Gary Numan album Strange Charm? It's his best work to date.
Empress Touch wrote:
But have any of you heard the 1986 Gary Numan album Strange Charm? It's his best work to date.
Evening, Patrick.
Obviously 2009, the debut of Bad Lieutenant.
Followed closely by 1977:
The Clash, The Clash; Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols; Television, Marquee Moon; David Bowie, Low and "Heroes"; Ramones, Rocket to Russia; Kraftwerk, Trans-Europe Express; Brian Eno, Before and After Science; Wire, Pink Flag; and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
I'd go for 1982 (start of good drumcomputers and Fairlight), followed closely by 1979 (start of synthpop).
After that, it's a tough battle of other 80's years ...
I would say early Nineties. Maturation of music into diverse and burgeoning leftfield genres such as shoegazing, indie rock, punk, noise, twee, acid house, ambient/techno, experimental, etc. Everything didn't seem so prefab and manufactured at that time
Empress Touch wrote: I agree with 1986.
Black Celebration is an obvious album. So should be Scoundrel Days and Once Upon A Time.
The Swiss duo Double had a brilliant romantic album called... Blue. The perfect soundtrack if you ever want to entertain the opposite sex.
But have any of you heard the 1986 Gary Numan album Strange Charm? It's his best work to date.
Gary Numan, lol that's so funny 
Holy shit, I can't believe I forgot to include Wire's Pink Flag in my original post (since amended). That has to seal the deal, doesn't it?
1977 for the win!
And have you checked out Colonel Abrahams 1985 club smash "Trapped" ? It's his best work to date.
NO Regret wrote: 1987 - New Order, Pet Shop Boys and Def Leppard!
- Depeche Mode "Music for the Masses" utter pants
- U2 "Joshua Tree" (remember they were still quite good then? :)) but BONGO was still an arse
- The Cure "kiss me kiss me kiss me" the BIG PUFF
I've just mentioned three good reasons to love 1987 and to be banned from this forum, methinks 
YER BUGGER OFF
Brotherhood all the way wrote: I would go for '86.
Brotherhood/BLT :)
Synth pop was at its peak, hi-nrg was merging in to house and rock n pop was pretty decent too.
Remind us how old you were in 1986 to be experiencing all these different genres?
Actually, were you even born in 1986? 
johnny wrote: 1985. Phyllis Nelson's Move Closer and The Rah Band's Clouds Across The Moon.
If only I could smoosh 1985/1986 together into one big year, it'd be no contest as far as best year for the shop selling me records.
'85: Husker Du, New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig; Tears for Fears, Songs from the Big Chair; Oingo Boingo, Dead Man's Party; INXS, Listen Like Thieves; Simple Minds, "Don't You Forget About Me", "Alive and Kicking"; Kate Bush, Hounds of Love; New Order, Low-life; Jesus and Mary Chain, Psychocandy; Love and Rockets, Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven; Big Audio Dynamite, This Is Big Audio Dynamite; OMD, Crush. Birth of Lily Allen!
'86: Smiths, The Queen is Dead; Pet Shop Boys, Please; Art of Noise, In Visible Silence; Talk Talk, The Colour of Spring; Public Image Limited, Album; Crowded House, Crowded House; Love and Rockets, Express; New Order, Brotherhood; Big Country, The Seer.
And a two year break from U2!
El Jarvo wrote:
Brotherhood all the way wrote: I would go for '86.
Brotherhood/BLT :)
Synth pop was at its peak, hi-nrg was merging in to house and rock n pop was pretty decent too.
Remind us how old you were in 1986 to be experiencing all these different genres?
Actually, were you even born in 1986?
Quite...
Gnu Odor wrote:
johnny wrote: 1985. Phyllis Nelson's Move Closer and The Rah Band's Clouds Across The Moon.
If only I could smoosh 1985/1986 together into one big year, it'd be no contest as far as best year for the shop selling me records.
'85: Husker Du, New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig; Tears for Fears, Songs from the Big Chair; Oingo Boingo, Dead Man's Party; INXS, Listen Like Thieves; Simple Minds, "Don't You Forget About Me", "Alive and Kicking"; Kate Bush, Hounds of Love; New Order, Low-life; Jesus and Mary Chain, Psychocandy; Love and Rockets, Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven; OMD, Crush. Birth of Lily Allen!
'86: Smiths, The Queen is Dead; Pet Shop Boys, Please; Art of Noise, In Visible Silence; Talk Talk, The Colour of Spring; Public Image Limited, Album; Crowded House, Crowded House; Love and Rockets, Express; New Order, Brotherhood; Big Country, The Seer.
And a two year break from U2!
that's less than an album a month - you must have bought more than that in the best year for the shop selling you records?
Most of the bands I still listen to were at their climax* at this time...
*Not necessaraly commercialy.
Depeche Mode apart, their best LP being music for the masses.
1990- House Of Love's "Butterfly" and Cocteau Twins' Heaven Or Las Vegas albums. Obviously infinitely superior than any Madchester shite
(Back to 1986)
And I forgot to mention The Colour Of Spring, The Queen Is Dead and Rendezvous.
I've never bought the 1986 album Broadcast by the Cutting Crew, but the first seven tracks, on their Best Of, rock!
Empress Touch wrote: (Back to 1986)
And I forgot to mention The Colour Of Spring, The Queen Is Dead and Rendezvous.
I've never bought the 1986 album Broadcast by the Cutting Crew, but the first seven tracks, on their Best Of, rock!
I'm surprised you haven't mentioned The Sun Always Shines on TV by A-ha.
I'll bet you were jizzing on Smash Hits Harket covers into 1987 over it.
1979:
Joy Division - UP PIL - Metal Box/Second Edition The Cure - Three Imaginary Boys Sex Pistols - The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle The Clash - London Calling Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead Gary Numan - Pleasure Principle Madness - One Step Beyond The Police - Regatta de Blanc Keith Hudson - Nu Skin Dub The Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight ELO - Greatest Hits Michael Jackson - Off The Wall Poussez - Poo-Say
Without a doubt! But a superfluity of mushies,tabs,micro dots!
If you need an explanation you'll never understand!
wrote: 1984 a damn good year !
i agree. the jacksons' victory tour, cyndi lauper, madonna and, most importantly, DURAN DURAN!
|| | ||| 6217|| 8 || 3 wrote: 1979:
Joy Division - UP PIL - Metal Box/Second Edition The Cure - Three Imaginary Boys Sex Pistols - The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle The Clash - London Calling Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead Gary Numan - Pleasure Principle...
Hell yes. 
I went with '77 (primarily so I could include Bollocks and the Bowie double-header), but it broke my heart not to include the Police or Gary Numan on my list. Damn, you make a good case.
Come to think of it, Lodger came out in '79, and that's my personal favorite Bowie.
And let me append:
Fleetwood Mac - Tusk Nick Lowe - Labour of Lust Joe Jackson - Look Sharp! Tom Petty - Damn the Torpedoes AC/DC - Highway to Hell Gang of Four - Entertainment! Marianne Faithfull - Broken English Richard and Linda Thompson - Sunnyvista Wire - 154 Elvis Costello - Armed Forces The Specials - The Specials The Knack - Get the Fucking Knack
1988 had some great stuff:
Iron Maiden-Seventh Son of a Seventh Son Sonic Youth-Daydream Nation/The Whitey Album Siouxsie and the Banshees-Peepshow Talk Talk-Spirit of Eden My Bloody Valentine-Isn't Anything The Pogues-If I Should Fall From Grace With God The Church-Starfish Galaxie 500-Today
Additionally, you had singles like:
Cocteau Twins-Carolyn's Fingers The Psychedelic Furs-All That Money Wants Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark-Dreaming Michael Jackson-Smooth Criminal New Order-Blue Monday '88/Best & Marsh/Fine Time (Of Course)
1987 - Great year for albums
New Order - Substance The Smiths - Strangeways... Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses Pet Shop Boys - Actually The Housemartins - People who Grinned... REM - Document Echo & the Bunnymen - self titled Happy Mondays - 24 Hour Party People ... Psychedelic Furs - Midnight to Midnight The Cult - Electric PWEI - Box Frenzy INXS - Kick Public Enemy - Yo Bum Rush the Show
1989 was good as well.
Ger Boy wrote: 1987 - Great year for albums
New Order - Substance The Smiths - Strangeways... Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses Pet Shop Boys - Actually The Housemartins - People who Grinned... REM - Document Echo & the Bunnymen - self titled Happy Mondays - 24 Hour Party People ... Psychedelic Furs - Midnight to Midnight The Cult - Electric PWEI - Box Frenzy INXS - Kick Public Enemy - Yo Bum Rush the Show
Definitely-I'd also add:
Sonic Youth-Sister Love and Rockets-Earth Sun Moon Def Leppard-Hysteria
Appetite for Destruction by Guns 'n Roses and The Joshua Tree by U2 are worth a mention if for no other reason then their phenomenal impact upon the mainstream.
For singles, we had:
The Cure-Just Like Heaven Run-D.M.C.-It's Tricky Pet Shop Boys-Always On My Mind
Not to mention two words: PAUL OAKENFOLD.
Ger Boy wrote: 1989 was good as well.
Oh HELL yeah it was:
Galaxie 500-On Fire The Cure-Disintegration Nine Inch Nails-Pretty Hate Machine The B-52s-Cosmic Thing Danny Elfman-Batman: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack The Psychedelic Furs-Book of Days
Singles:
Depeche Mode-Personal Jesus
It goes without saying to bring up ALL of the Technique era by New Order...
