My favorite albums by year
I'm fan of the BNR Metal Pages site. I found it when I was young and new to metal and music generally. His year-by-year top 10 albums lists were very useful to me.
When you find a list, any list, where a few entries match your own preferences, you immediately have pointers for new things to track down. It's nice. To give my ones of readers that same kindness, here's my own list of my favorite albums by year.
1958
- Ewan MacColl and A. L. Lloyd - Blow Boys Blow
1968
- Deep Purple - The Book of Taliesyn
1969
- Deep Purple - Deep Purple
- Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
1970
- Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
- Black Sabbath - Paranoid
- Curved Air - Air Conditioning
- Deep Purple - Deep Purple in Rock
- Gentle Giant - Gentle Giant
- Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
- Uriah Heep - ...Very 'Eavy ... Very 'Umble
- Van der Graaf Generator - H to He, Who Am the Only One
1971
- Black Sabbath - Master of Reality
- Budgie - Budgie
- Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink
- Curved Air - Second Album
- Deep Purple - Fireball
- Gentle Giant - Acquiring the Taste
- Jethro Tull - Aqualung
- Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
- Uriah Heep - Look at Yourself
- Van der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts
- Yes - Fragile
- Yes - The Yes Album
1972
- Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Vol. 4
- Blue Öyster Cult - Blue Öyster Cult
- Captain Beyond - Captain Beyond
- Caravan - Waterloo Lily
- Curved Air - Phantasmagoria
- Deep Purple - Machine Head
- Genesis - Foxtrot
- Gentle Giant - Octopus
- Gentle Giant - Three Friends
- Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
- Stevie Wonder - Talking Book
- Uriah Heep - Demons and Wizards
- Wishbone Ash - Argus
- Yes - Close to the Edge
1973
- Billy Cobham - Spectrum
- Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
- Blue Öyster Cult - Tyranny and Mutation
- Camel - Camel
- Caravan - For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night
- Genesis - Selling England by the Pound
- Gentle Giant - In a Glass House
- Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
- Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
- Ougenweide - Ougenweide
- Steeleye Span - Parcel of Rogues
- Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
- Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans
1974
- Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties
- Budgie - In for the Kill
- Deep Purple - Burn
- Deep Purple - Stormbringer
- Gentle Giant - The Power and the Glory
- Hawkwind - Hall of the Mountain Grill
- King Crimson - Red
- Mike Oldfield - Hergest Ridge
- Ougenweide - All die weil ich mag
- Queen - Queen II
- Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
- Steeleye Span - Now We Are Six
- Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale
1975
- Black Sabbath - Sabotage
- Budgie - Bandolier
- Gentle Giant - Free Hand
- Hawkwind - Warrior on the Edge of Time
- Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn
- Queen - A Night at the Opera
- Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
- Scorpions - In Trance
- Steve Hackett - Voyage of the Acolyte
- Van der Graaf Generator - Godbluff
1976
- Blue Öyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
- Brand X - Unorthodox Behaviour
- Camel - Moonmadness
- The Gladiators - Trenchtown Mix Up
- Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny
- Ougenweide - Ohrenschmaus
- Ougenweide - Eulenspiegel
- Rainbow - Rising
- Rush - 2112
- Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
1977
- Camel - Rain Dances
- Kraftwerk - Trans Europa Express
- The Clash - The Clash
- Jethro Tull - Songs from the Wood
- Judas Priest - Sin after Sin
- Van der Graaf Generator - The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome
1978
- Black Sabbath - Never Say Die!
- The Clash - Give 'em Enough Rope
- Judas Priest - Stained Class
- Judas Priest - Hell Bent for Leather
- Kraftwerk - Die Mensch-Maschine
- Rainbow - Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
- The Gladiators - Proverbial Reggae
1979
- The Clash - London Calling
- Legend - From the Fjords
- Ougenweide - Ousflug
1980
- Alan Parsons Project - The Turn of a Friendly Card
- Angel Witch - Angel Witch
- Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
- Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
- Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
- Telex - Neurovision
- Tygers of Pan Tang - Wild Cat
- Witchfynde - Stagefright
1981
- Barón Rojo - Larga vida al rock and roll
- Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
- Depeche Mode - Speak and Spell
- Iron Maiden - Killers
- Kraftwerk - Computerwelt
- Tygers of Pan Tang - Spellbound
1982
- Barón Rojo - Volumen brutal
- High Level - Demo 1
- Manowar - Battle Hymns
- Venom - Black Metal
- Witchfinder General - Death Penalty
- Yazoo - Upstairs at Eric's
1983
- Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
- Manilla Road - Crystal Logic
- Mercyful Fate - Melissa
- Metallica - Kill 'em All
- Slayer - Show No Mercy
- Witchfinder General - Friends of Hell
1984
- Brocas Helm - Into Battle
- Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales
- Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
- Ini Kamoze - Ini Kamoze
- Iron Maiden - Powerslave
- Marillion - Fugazi
- Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath
- Omen - Battle Cry
- Saint Vitus - Saint Vitus
- Slayer - Haunting the Chapel
1985
- Chained Lace - Morbid Fascination
- Fates Warning - The Spectre Within
- Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
- Pentagram - Relentless
- Saint Vitus - Hallow's Victim
- Slayer - Hell Awaits
1986
- Black Sabbath - Seventh Star
- Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
- Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
- Heir Apparent - Graceful Inheritance
- Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
- Kraftwerk - Techno Pop
- Nuclear Assault - Game Over
- Slayer - Reign in Blood
1987
- Bathory - Under the Sign of the Black Mark
- Black Sabbath - The Eternal Idol
- Candlemass - Nightfall
- Pentagram - Day of Reckoning
- Running Wild - Under Jolly Roger
- Saint Vitus - Born Too Late
1988
- Death - Leprosy
- Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
- King's X - Out of the Silent Planet
- Running Wild - Port Royal
- Saint Vitus - Mournful Cries
- Screamer - Target: Earth
- Voivod - Dimension Hatröss
- Was (Not Was) - What Up, Dog?
1989
- Black Sabbath - Headless Cross
- Cloven Hoof - A Sultan's Ransom
- King's X - Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
- Minor Threat - Complete Discography
- Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
- Running Wild - Death or Glory
- Voivod - Nothingface
1990
- Bathory - Hammerheart
- Black Sabbath - Tyr
- Boston Camerata and Joel Cohen - New Britain
- Dogs with Jobs - Shock
- Megadeth - Rust in Peace
- Obituary - Cause of Death
- Trouble - Trouble
- Was (Not Was) - Are You Okay?
1991
- Coroner - Mental Vortex
- Death - Human
- Gorguts - Considered Dead
- Xysma - Yeah
1992
- Black Sabbath - Dehumanizer
- Cannibal Corpse - Tomb of the Mutilated
- Depressive Age - First Depression
- Samael - Blood Ritual
- Solitude Aeturnus - Beyond the Crimson Horizon
1993
- Boston Camerata and Joel Cohen - An American Christmas
- Cynic - Focus
- Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon
- Rotting Christ - Thy Mighty Contract
- Sleep - Sleep's Holy Mountain
- Varathron - His Majesty at the Swamp
1994
- Black Sabbath - Cross Purposes
- Hedningarna - Trä
- Pentagram - Be Forewarned
- Rotting Christ - Non Serviam
1995
- Death - Symbolic
- Opeth - Orchid
- Wish - Monochrome
1996
- 2nd South Carolina String Band - Southern Soldier
- Absurd - Facta Loquuntur
- Cathedral - Supernatural Birth Machine
- Deep Purple - Purpendicular
- Empyrium - A Wintersunset...
- Forgotten Woods - The Curse of Mankind
- Godkiller - The Rebirth of the Middle Ages
- Joyless - Unlimited Hate
- Opeth - Morningrise
- Rotting Christ - Triarchy of the Lost Lovers
1997
- Arathorn - Niemals Krönender Als Was Einst War
- Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
- Graveland - Following the Voice of Blood
- Phlebotomized - Skycontact
1998
- Arckanum - Kampen
- Cathedral - Caravan Beyond Redemption
- Falkenbach - ... Magni Blandinn Ok Megintiri...
- Inquisition - Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult
- Nile - Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka
- Otyg - Älvefärd
- Sculptured - The Spear of the Lily is Aureoled
1999
- Halgadom - Halgadom
- Joyless - Blue in the Face
- Opeth - Still Life
- Otyg - Sagovindars boning
2000
- Bangs - Sweet Revenge
- Dying Fetus - Destroy the Opposition
- Iron Maiden - Brave New World
- Joyless - Wisdom and Arrogance
- Nile - Black Seeds of Vengeance
- Sculptured - Apollo Ends
2001
- Absu - Tara
- Opeth - Blackwater Park
- Summoning - Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame
2002
- Agatus - The Weaving Fates
- DoomSword - Resound the Horn
- Forefather - Engla Tocyme
- Inquisition - Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan
2003
- Absurd - Totenlieder
- Aguynguerran - Christreign Annihilation
- DoomSword - Let Battle Commence
- Falkenbach - Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty
- Fireball Ministry - The Second Great Awakening
- Heldentum - Waffenweihe
- Jethro Tull - The Jethro Tull Christmas Album
- John Arch - A Twist of Fate
- Temnozor - Horizons...
2004
- Cruachan - Pagan
- Darkestrah - Sary Oy
- Drudkh - Autumn Aurora
- Eismalsott - Best Before: Spring
- Forefather - Ours Is the Kingdom
- Forseti - Erde
- Hagal - Sterbender Traum
- Isen Torr - Mighty & Superior
- Noenum - Black Esoteric Evangelium
- Spite Extreme Wing - Non Dvcor, Dvco
- Triskèle - Origines...
2005
- Bilskirnir - Hyperborea
- Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal
- Candlemass - Candlemass
- Falkenbach - Heralding the Fireblade
- Horn - Jahreszeiten
- Horna - Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne
- Ildra - To Elreordgum Landum
- Macabre Omen - The Ancient Returns
- Prevalent Resistance - Dynamics of Creation
- Satanic Warmaster - Carelian Satanist Madness
- Zwenz - A Life's Work of Natrgaard I
- Zwenz - A Life's Work of Natrgaard II
2006
- Almora - 1945
- Cruachan - The Morrigan's Call
- Horn - Die Kraft der Szenarien
- Imperium Dekadenz - ...und die Welt ward kalt und leer
- One Master - Forsaking a Dead World
- Peste Noire - La Sanie des siècles - Panégyrique de la dégénérescence
- Zemial - In Monumentum
2007
- Bilskirnir - Wotansvolk
- Candlemass - King of the Grey Islands
- DoomSword - My Name Will Live On
- Ildra - Þær Swefende Hæleð Licgað
- Rahu - Caput Draconis
- Von Thronstahl - Sacrificare
2008
- Absurd - Der Fünfzehnjährige Krieg
- Forefather - Steadfast
- Morok - In the Forests of Slavia
- Pagan Hammer - Ode to My Fathers
- Sculptured - Embodiment: Collapsing Under the Weight of God
- Sonne Hagal - Jordansfrost
- Triskèle - Triade nordique
2009
- Blackholicus - Megaforte
- The Gates of Slumber - Hymns of Blood and Thunder
2010
- Briton Rites - For Mircalla
- Cripta Oculta - Rios que Correram... Rios que Secaram
- Horn - Distanz
2011
- Angel of Damnation - Carnal Philosophy
- Forefather - Last of the Line
- Moonless - Calling All Demons
2012
- Nightstalker - Dead Rock Commandos
- Rahu - The Quest for the Vajra of Shadows
2013
- Bilskirnir - Wotan Redivivus
- Inquisition - Obscure Verses for the Multiverse
- Morok - Fiery Dances of Dying
- Space Mirrors - The Other Gods
- Stone Dagger - Stone Dagger
2014
2015
- Forefather - Curse of the Cwelled
- Initiation - A Ritual of Blood, A Pact of Ashes
- Macabre Omen - Gods of War - At War
- Pentagram - Curious Volume
- Space Mirrors - Stella Polaris
2016
- Glass Shrine - Lapidary
- Maquahuitl - Blood of Kings and Ancestral Might
- Mitch Murder - The Real Deal
- Nekrokrist SS - Xmas Ritual 2016
2017
- Black Magick SS - Kaleidoscope Dreams
- Forefather - Tales from a Cloud-Born Land
- Jordablod - Upon My Cremation Pyre
- Wulkanaz - Paralys
2018
- Pale Divine - Pale Divine
- Purity Renaissance - Purity Renaissance
- Sanguine Relic - The Essence of Eternity's Despair
- Soul Dissolution - Soul Dissolution
2019
- A Novelist - Folie
- Departure Chandelier - Antichrist Rise to Power
- Glistening - Human Emotions
- Nova - Veniamo dal cielo
2020
- Inquisition - Black Mass for a Mass Grave
- Volcanova - Radical Waves
2021
2022
- Waves Idle Symmetry - Thalassa
2023
2024
Miscellaneous albums
These albums are compilations (single- or multi-artist), live albums, or albums whose details are murky to me. It's only fair to list these apart from the above works, which were created by one artist over a very short time span.
- Camel - A Live Record (live album, 1978)
- Ecuador Inkas - Traditionelle Musik aus den Anden, Vol. 2 (artist(s) unclear, no date)
- Gordon Lightfoot - Gord's Gold (compilation, 1975)
- Sham 69 - The Punk Singles Collection (1977-1980) (compilation, 1998)
- Various Artists - Anthology of American Folk Music (compilation, 1952)
- Various Artists - Metal Warriors (compilation, 1983)
- Various Artists - Muthas Pride (compilation, 1980)
- Various Artists - Nordic Roots (A Northside Collection) (compilation, 1998)
- Various Artists - Nordic Roots 2 (compilation, 1999)
- Various Artists - Wir Rufen Deine Wölfe (compilation, 2003)
- Yes - Yessongs (live album, 1973)