Best year for music?

My pick is easily 1990. Aside from D naming a top-tier song after it, three of my four favorite bands (Deliverance, Tourniquet, and Megadeth) released their best work that year, and so did Slayer and possibly Believer (still deciding between EFM and SO). There's also Once Dead and The Torment. I can't see any other year beating that. The only other option I could see is someone who doesn't listen to n Christian metal, they could go with 1986 for MoP, PSBWB, and RiB. But for me nothing beats 1990.

Wow, you know WAY more about music than I do, Steven! I wouldn't have a clue as to how to answer that question without doing a ton of research. I'd probably say something slightly comedic like 1951, the year Phil Keaggy was born, or c.AD 33, because we received a WHOLE lot of musical content and lyrics that year!

1987. Because that’s the year that the gift to the world that is Pethead was born.

In all seriousness, as a thrasher I’d say 1990. Killer year.

Tough one! First year that comes to mind is 2004, not only was that a good power metal year (Rhapsody, Domine, Wuthering Heights... and way more than that) but also lots of great stuff from other subgenres, like Ensiferum, Wintersun and Orphaned Land.

Other options for me would be 2002, 2010 or 2017.

Sevenoneself wrote:Wow, you know WAY more about music than I do, Steven! I wouldn't have a clue as to how to answer that question without doing a ton of research. I'd probably say something slightly comedic like 1951, the year Phil Keaggy was born, or c.AD 33, because we received a WHOLE lot of musical content and lyrics that year!

Thanks, I've always been a nerd about whatever subject I'm currently obsessed with lol

I agree with Steven. 1990 was a great year. 

Great albums from: 
Judas Priest, Tourniquet, Megadeth, Testament, Deliverance, Annihilator, AC/DC, Pantera, Forbidden, Sacred Warrior, Extreme, Iced Earth, Stryper, Alice In Chains, King's X, Trouble, Seventh Angel, Anthrax, Kreator, Slayer (Kerrick and the boys were great that year), Prong, Death Angel, Believer, Sanctuary, Suicidal Tendencies, Vengeance Rising, Death, Vicious Rumors, Sacred Reich, Exodus, Living Colour, etc, etc, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc....and so on and so on and so on and so on and so on...yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda...to be continued.




But if we're talking strictly Christian releases I'd have to go with 1992 (My favorite Tourniquet (POD) and Deliverance (SOE) albums - as well as great releases from Bride, Mortification, Sacrament, Vengeance Rising, etc.)

I've never narrowed it down to a specific year, but I remember 1984-1987 being good years for heavy metal.  
And for pop and rock music in general.  But every year has it's good and bad releases.

For me, 1990 is the best. It was the year I was introduced to thrash and it produced some of my favorite albums: Rust in Peace, Seasons in the Abyss, Lights Camera Revolution, Persistence of Time and Souls of Black. And the major label debut of Pantera. 

Some other notable years… 

1983 
(the year Metallica and Slayer debuted. And the birth of thrash)

1986 
(the year of genre defining landmark albums… like Master of Puppets, Reign in Blood and Darkness Descends)

I would also like to mention 1980. It was the year many of the NWOBHM bands debuted.

I completely forgot that Anthrax's best was also in 1990

1991 wasn’t shabby either… It was awesome! Almost as good as 1990.

Sepultura - Arise
Touniquet - Psycho Surgery 
Death - Human
The Crucified - Pillars of Humanity

TZ75 wrote:1991 wasn’t shabby either… It was awesome! Almost as good as 1990.

Sepultura - Arise
Touniquet - Psycho Surgery 
Death - Human
The Crucified - Pillars of Humanity

Don't forget Lament for the Weary!

What a Joke also

StevenCressler wrote:I completely forgot that Anthrax's best was also in 1990

Indeed!

To this day it also has one of my favorite productions. Mark Dodson did a great job!

StevenCressler wrote:

TZ75 wrote:1991 wasn’t shabby either… It was awesome! Almost as good as 1990.

Sepultura - Arise
Touniquet - Psycho Surgery 
Death - Human
The Crucified - Pillars of Humanity

Don't forget Lament for the Weary!

What a Joke also

Good call! 

Awesome albums.

StevenCressler wrote:

TZ75 wrote:1991 wasn’t shabby either… It was awesome! Almost as good as 1990.

Sepultura - Arise
Touniquet - Psycho Surgery 
Death - Human
The Crucified - Pillars of Humanity

Don't forget Lament for the Weary!

What a Joke also

I also forgot the great s/t debut of the Galactic Cowboys!

Metal: 90/91
Hip Hop: 93-95

After that and before that everything sucked. Oh wait maybe that’s because those were my teenage years I look back upon with fond nostalgic memories because I am an old geezer now and

Raegoul wrote:Metal: 90/91
Hip Hop: 93-95

After that and before that everything sucked. Oh wait maybe that’s because those were my teenage years I look back upon with fond nostalgic memories because I am an old geezer now and

As far as rap goes… I like the late 80’s (yo mtv raps) era. “Check Your Head” by the Beastie Boys is my favorite. Of course they were known to actually play instruments and dabble with punk.

I enjoy some late 80s–early 90s rap, although it’s far from a favorite genre.

Pethead wrote:I enjoy some late 80s–early 90s rap, although it’s far from a favorite genre.

Same.

One of my favorites by the Beastie Boys…

It’s basically a post-punk tune. 

TZ75 wrote:One of my favorites by the Beastie Boys…

It’s basically a post-punk tune. 

Beastie Boys were actually a HC punk band before switching to rap.

Check the "Some Old Bullshit" Album, they have a few decent tunes, Egg Raid on Mojo, Heartattack Man etc. really good classic NY HC punk.

I prefer metal, but 1971 is tough to beat:

Yes - Fragile
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
Jethro Tull - Aqualung
The Doors - LA Woman
Led Zeppelin - IV
Pink Floyd - Meddle
The Who - Who's Next
Deep Purple - Fireball
Don McLean - American Pie
Alice Cooper - Killer
John Lennon - Imagine
Yes - The Yes Album
Derek and the Dominoes - Layla
David Bowie - Hunky Dorey
Black Sabbath - Master of Reality
Carole King - Tapestry
Janis Joplin - Pearl
Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story
T.Rex - Electric Warrior
Genesis - Nursery Cryme
Funkadelic - Maggot Brain
The Allman Brothers - At Fillmore East
Mountain - Nantucket Sleighride


Debuts of -

Budgie
ZZ Top
The Doobie Brothers
Little Feat
ELO
Nazareth
Rory Gallagher
America
Wings
Thin Lizzy

1978, 1979.  

Some of the Best 80's music was really from the 70's....

1990 also brought us:
Petra - Beyond Belief
Holy Soldier - s/t
Guardian - Fire and Love
Angelica - Walkin in Faith
Bride - End of the Age (this best-of album is how I first discovered Bride - it’s nostalgic)