Beatles will no doubt be on everyone's list so.... here we go
Pet Sounds: Wouldn't it be Nice is probably my favorite love song period.
Led Zeppelin: because Black Dog
Frankie Valli:that voice
Ritchie Valens: because you can't get Come On, Come on out of your head and that's ok.
Exile on Main Street: because they did blues better than most Americans
The Rat Pack: because no one will ever be that cool again. Ever.
Johnny Cash: because country used to be bad ass.
and finally because
Im missing a lot more like etta james, and the temptations, diana ross
While I love the effort to get discussion of the classics going, "pre-1980" is such an insanely broad collection of music in so many genres that it's impossible for me to accurately answer the question.
While I love the effort to get discussion of the classics going, "pre-1980" is such an insanely broad collection of music in so many genres that it's impossible for me to accurately answer the question.
it is a little broad and it was hard for me to pick as well but I think id rather have people bring in a wide range of music rather than say a certain decade and everyone names one or two artists. In other words: to many choices is better than to few.
it is a little broad and it was hard for me to pick as well but I think id rather have people bring in a wide range of music rather than say a certain decade and everyone names one or two artists. In other words: to many choices is better than to few.
Absolutely true. There's just so much out there. I own 310 albums from before 1980, and probably have even more than that on my "to buy" list and I still feel like I've just dipped my toe in.
Absolutely true. There's just so much out there. I own 310 albums from before 1980, and probably have even more than that on my "to buy" list and I still feel like I've just dipped my toe in.
i know how you feel. its like walking into a bookstore and getting depressed at all the books you will never get to read.
i know how you feel. its like walking into a bookstore and getting depressed at all the books you will never get to read.
Except you can get through much more music than literature, thankfully. Haha. The only thing that freaks me out is knowing how many good artists either never got signed or went unnoticed when their albums came out, and I'll never be able to hear them.
Except you can get through much more music than literature, thankfully. Haha. The only thing that freaks me out is knowing how many good artists either never got signed or went unnoticed when their albums came out, and I'll never be able to hear them.
spotify really helps with getting through albums just to hear them. But I try to find lesser known artists by making myself, every time I go to Amoeba, to buy at least one CD ive never seen or heard of before. Often youll find a gem, like how I found Post Harbor. and the liner notes take you to these really obscure bands that have like, 1 ep out.
Also to actually contribute to the topic, a few lesser known (maybe) albums pre-1980 that I adore:
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - What Love Has...Joined Together (lush, romantic, orchestrated Motown)
Mahalia Jackson - Live at Newport 1958 (no frills, huge-voiced gospel)
Nina Simone - Sings the Blues (a jazz singer doing stripped-down blues songs with the feel of a soul singer)
Richie Havens - Mixed Bag (acoustic, gruff-voiced folk)
Eric Anderson - Blue River (70's singer/songwriter folk with some country touches)
Gal Costa - Gal Costa (1969) (late-60's Brazilian Tropicalia)
Bob Seger - Seven (straight-up, charging rock and roll)
Aretha Franklin - This Girl's in Love with You (the queen of soul)
Gerry Rafferty - City to City (soft-rock done right)
Justin Hayward and John Lodge - Blue Jays (sweeping dream-rock)
Commodores - Midnight Magic (the frizziest, sweatiest funk/disco party)
Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees (glistening blue-eyed soul)
Emmylou Harris - Luxury Liner (country sung by an angel)
Harry Belafonte - Live at Carnegie Hall (world/folk music introduced by a world-class singer in one of the first concert albums)
Dan Fogelberg - Nether Lands (lushly orchestrated singer/songwriter stuff)
Jim Croce - Life and Times (acoustic folk from a Southern boy)
Heart - Dog and Butterfly (a really talented rock/folk band at their most ambitious)
Art Garfunkel - Breakaway (soft-rock at its smoothest by a legendary singer)
Electric Light Orchestra - A New World Record (operatic/orchestral prog-pop)
Pousette-Dart Band - Amnesia (country-rock mixed with 70's pop/rock)
Peter, Paul and Mary - Reunion (folk musicians easing into late-70's sounds)
- No luck with a video
Herbie Hancock - Sunlight (jazz/funk with awesome vocorder vocals)
Sandy Denny - Sandy (English folk-pop)
Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon (cynical, sarcastic, literate mastepiece of Southern California pop)
The Stylistics - Rockin' Roll Baby (Philly soul, i.e. The Delfonics, The Spinners, The Blue Notes)
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - United (luscious Motown duets)
The Spinners - Pick of the Litter (Philly soul)
Frank Sinatra - Sinatra-Basie (Sinatra backed with a fantastic band)
Linda Ronstadt - Heart Like a Wheel (incredibly smooth So-Cal pop)
Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails (San Francisco acid rock with incredible dual guitars)
The Raspberries - Starting Over (power-pop, i.e. Big Star)
Prince - Prince (funk perfection)
Randy Newman - Sail Away (ironic, sarcastic singer-songwriter piano stuff)
Chuck Mangione - Feels So Good (catchy, funky late 70's lite-jazz)
Gordon Lightfoot - Summertime Dream (Canadian folky singer-songwriter)
The Jacksons - Destiny (nasty disco/funk with Michael on almost all the vocals)
The Moody Blues - Seventh Sojourn (prog-rock without the meandering)
Jimmy Durante - September Song (standards sung by the guy who did "Frosty the Snowman")
Sammy Davis, Jr. - What Kind of Fool Am I and Other Show-Stoppers (crooner stuff from a singer just as good as Sinatra)
spotify really helps with getting through albums just to hear them. But I try to find lesser known artists by making myself, every time I go to Amoeba, to buy at least one CD ive never seen or heard of before. Often youll find a gem, like how I found Post Harbor. and the liner notes take you to these really obscure bands that have like, 1 ep out.
I find a lot of older stuff by looking up similar artists to ones I like on allmusic/wiki, etc
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