Best NON METAL album from each year (last 60 years).

[karljant]

Inspired by THIS post by @Collin, I thought it was cool to narrow the roster a bit. I also think that it's a cool way to see what people here listen to outside of metal.

Obviously, a pertinent question is paramount from the get go: what is "Metal" and what is not. That I'll leave to each one... There's common ground to be found and even if there's some stretches here and there it's all good.

I myself have some controversial takes. I.e. the majority of Paradise Lost's catalogue is Metal, albums like One Second or Host aren't IMO. Also, while having some heavy riffing on most albums, I don't consider bands like Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Ghost, Rush, Blue Cheer, Therapy?, Zeppelin, The Cult or Tool to be overall "Metal per se". So, in my case, these albums are eligible this exercise and you're free to create your own boundaries given it doesn't disrupt a certain common sense (like saying Slayer isn't Metal ).

So, if you're in for it, place your list below. I'm getting mine ready.

Cheers.

 

[karljant]

Here's mine. Ahead of each one is what, IMO, are the genres of each album

2024: Julie Christmas - Ridiculous And Full Of Blood (Sludge, Noise)
2023: Host - IX (Rock, Synth)
2022: Final Light - Final Light (Sludge, Synthwave)
2021: Sleigh Bells - Texis (Alternative, Power Pop, Electronic)
2020: Pg.Lost - Oscillate (Post Rock)

2019: Tool - Fear Inoculum (Prog, Hard Rock)
2018: The Prodigy - No Tourists (Breakbeat, Electronic)
2017: Anathema - The Optimist (Prog, Atmospheric Rock)
2016: Saul Williams - MartyrLoserKing (Alternative Hip Hop)
2015: Florence and The Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (Alternative, Art rock)
2014: Peter Murphy - Lion (Alternative, Gothic rock, Electronic)
2013: Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks (Industrial Rock)
2012: Garbage - Not Your Kind Of People (Power Pop)
2011: Ulver - War Of The Roses (Art Rock)
2010: Killing Joke - Absolute Dissent (Alternative, Industrial Rock)

2009: Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue (Sludge Rock, Grunge)
2008: Nine Inch Nails - The Slip (Industrial Rock)
2007: Mundo Cão - Mundo Cão (Alternative Rock, Post Punk)
2006: Fields Of The Nephilim - Mourning Sun (Gothic Rock, Ambiental, Industrial)
2005: Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth (Industrial Rock)
2004: The Prodigy - Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned (Breakbeat, Electronic)
2003: Killing Joke - Killing Joke (Alternative, Industrial Rock)
2002: Peter Murphy - Dust (Alternative, World Music)
2001: Tool - Lateralus (Prog, Hard Rock)
2000: The Hives - Vini, Vidi, Vicious (Alternative, Garage Rock, Proto Punk)

1999: Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile (Industrial Rock)
1998: Bizarra Locomotiva - Bestiário (Industrial Rock)
1997: Paradise Lost - One Second (Gothic Rock, Electronic)
1996: Cubanate - Barbarosa (Industrial Rock, EBM)
1995: Alice In Chains - Alice In Chains (Sludge Rock, Grunge)
1994: The Cult - The Cult (Alternative Rock)
1993: Depeche Mode - Songs Of Faith And Devotion (Alternative Rock, Synth)
1992: Mão Morta - Mutantes S21 (Alternative, Garage Rock)
1991: Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger (Hard Rock, Grunge)
1990: Fields Of The Nephilim - Elizium (Gothic Rock, Ambiental)

1989: The Young Gods - L'Eau Rouge (Industrial Rock)
1988: Mão Morta - Corações Felpudos (Avant Garde, Alternative Rock)
1987: The Young Gods - The Young Gods (Industrial Rock)
1986: The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead (Alternative Pop)
1985: The Cult - Love (Rock, Post Punk)
1984: The Smiths - The Smiths (Alternative Pop)
1983: Death Cult - Death Cult (Post Punk, Gothic Rock)
1982: Discharge - Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing (Hardcore) *
1981: U2 - October (Rock/ Post Punk)
1980: Rocky Erickson - The Evil One (Rock)

1979: Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle (Synth)
1978: The Misfits - Static Age (Punk) **
1977: The Ramones - Rocket To Russia (Punk)
1976: The Ramones - The Ramones (Punk)
1975: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (Prog Rock)
1974: King Crimson - Red (Prog Rock)
1973: The Stooges - Raw Power (Proto Punk)
1972: MC5 - Thunder Express - Herouville Castle (Proto Punk) **
1971: Pink Floyd - Meddle (Prog Rock, Psychedelia)
1970: Led Zeppelin - III (Hard Rock)

1969: Led Zeppelin - II (Hard Rock)
1968: Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland (Blues Rock, Psychedelia)
1967: Pink Floyd - Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (Psychedelia)
1966: 13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators (Psychedelia)
1965: ***

* How could I forget this one?????
** Both released many years later due to complications.
*** Errrr.... nothing? From the available stuff I saw there's not a single record I like as far as I noticed. Any suggestions?

 

[Sth2112]

Okay I tried to do this now, as I coudn't sleep anymore…

There's no way I could do every year, but I've tried to do as many as possible, digging through my reviews and record collection. I have also tried to take the least heavy favorite album, and I've cross-checked with rateyourmusic.com if the album is metal (for instance, Appetite for destruction is one of my favorite albums ever, but since it's tagged as glam metal along with hard rock/sleaze rock, I did not include it.) I have also just included one album for each band/artist, and I have tried to place the album on an available year. But some years was very tough to pick just one

2017: Steven Wilson - To the bone
2016: The midnight - Endless summer
2010: Pain of salvation - Road salt one
2008: Fleet foxes - s/t
2007: Nine inch nails - Year zero
2006: John Mayer - Continuum
2005: Sigur Rós - Takk…
2004: Blackfield - s/t
2003: Opeth - Damnation
2002: Norah Jones - Come away with me
1998: Massive attack - Mezzanine
1997: Green day - nimrod
1996: Aphex twin - Richard D James album
1995: Radiohead - The bends
1994: Portishead - Dummy/Oasis - Definetly Maybe
1992: Blind melon - s/t
1991: Michael Jackson - Dangerous
1990: The black crowes - HShake your money maker
1989: Lenny Kravitz - Let love rule
1987: Dead can dance - Within the realm of the dying sun/The cult - Electric
1983: Marillion - Script from a jester's tear
1981: Penguin cafe orchestra - s/t
1980: Rush - Permanent waves
1979: Joy division - Unknown pleasures/Frank Zappa - Sheik yerbouti
1977: Pink floyd - Animals
1976: Stevie Wonder - Songs in the key of life
1975: Electric light orchestra - Face the music
1974: Camel - Mirage
1972: Nick Drake - Pink moon
1971:John Lennon - Imagine/T rex - electric warrior
1970: Led zeppelin - Led zeppelin III/Miles Davis - Bitches brew

 

[Mosh]

I moved this to music discussion because it is a discussion on music.

 

[karljant]

I moved this to music discussion because it is a discussion on music.

Only put it there because @Collin 's original post was also in CIPWM. Thanks.

 

[karljant]

There's no way I could do every year, but I've tried to do as many as possible

Nor did you have to... The one you posted is already impressive as hell.

Appetite for destruction is one of my favorite albums ever, but since it's tagged as glam metal along with hard rock/sleaze rock, I did not include it.

Yeah, that´s what I was alluding to with the aforementioned disambiguation. It varies and to each his own. I personally think AFD is much closer to 70's Hard Rock of Aerosmith and Zeppelin than to Motley Crue or stuff like that and think it's more than electable. But also can easily understand why some may choose to leave it out based on the genre alone.

2017: Steven Wilson - To the bone
2007: Nine inch nails - Year zero
2005: Sigur Rós - Takk…
2003: Opeth - Damnation
2002: Norah Jones - Come away with me
1998: Massive attack - Mezzanine
1996: Aphex twin - Richard D James album
1995: Radiohead - The bends
1994: Portishead - Dummy
1989: Lenny Kravitz - Let love rule
1987: Dead can dance - Within the realm of the dying sun/The cult - Electric
1983: Marillion - Script from a jester's tear
1977: Pink floyd - Animals
1976: Stevie Wonder - Songs in the key of life
1970: Led zeppelin - Led zeppelin III/Miles Davis - Bitches brew

Thes are top tier picks IMO. Yet, since you liked NIN's Year Zero, I think it's curious you didn't pick The Fragile for 1999.