I've reached the halfway point (go me and my attention span!). Here's what I've got so far:

1. Blue, Joni Mitchell
2. Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder
3. London Calling, The Clash
4. Hejira, Joni Mitchell
5. Horses, Patti Smith
6. Innervisions, Stevie Wonder
7. Rumours, Fleetwood Mac
8. Superfly, Curtis Mayfield
9. Once Upon A Time, Donna Summer
10. The Hissing of Summer Lawns, Joni Mitchell
11. Blood on the Tracks, Bob Dylan
12. For the Roses, Joni Mitchell
13. Fun House, The Stooges
14. Pink Moon, Nick Drake
15. Bad Girls, Donna Summer
16. Press Color, Lizzy Mercier Descloux
17. The Kick Inside, Kate Bush
18. This Year's Model, Elvis Costello
19. Court and Spark, Joni Mitchell
20. Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd
21. More Songs About Buildings and Food, Talking Heads
22. Dreamboat Annie, Heart
23. The Man-Machine, Kraftwerk
24. A Love Trilogy, Donna Summer
25. Ladies of the Canyon, Joni Mitchell
26. Talking Book, Stevie Wonder
27. Spirit in the Dark, Aretha Franklin
28. It Is Finished, Nina Simone

I'm still debating whether I wanna include compilations (trying to focus on ones that happen to feature a lot of 70s music). Also, recommendations are HIGHLY appreciated (I really wanna finish this shit already I'm an impatient motherfucker)

This is good. I've been digging deeper into the 00s lately, so this will give me a nice change of pace. There's so much from this decade I haven't heard! I can't wait.

Marvin Gaye - "Let's Get it On"
In terms of its place in pop culture, the title track is seen as a parody of itself at this point. But this is only the case because of how absolutely perfect it is. Those first four notes created the template for an entire generation of R&B musicians. Although the chord progression only deviates once, the melody evolves so constantly and organically that Marvin's voice becomes more than its own instrument - it is an extension of his (and our) soul. "Let's Get it On" isn't a song that speaks to the human experience. It is the human experience. It's a transcendent record that never leaves the earth. Then, somehow, the rest of the album rides the high of the title track, basking in its lingering glow.
It's weird for some people to admit how much they enjoy listening to sexy music in a non-sexual context. Many see it as immature at best, and perverted at worst. They see someone groove to "Please Stay (Once You Go Away)" and think, "Wow, that guy must be exceptionally, desperately horny." No. That ain't how it is. At its best and most life-affirming, music is a celebration of love and happiness. Love for whatever. For a girl, a man, a family, a feeling, a planet. That's what everything is at its best. That love recognition. "Don't you know how sweet and wonderful life can be?"

i have some distant family members who are somewhat conservative/frigid, but think barry white's music is awesome
(i don't know what they think of marvin gaye, but my guess is they'd turn their noses up on him)

there are really people who think "distant lover" is sexy? strange... i associate it with horribly painful loneliness and even unrequited love... if anything, it is the anthem of the hopeless romantic... and what about "just to keep you satisfied"? there is something latently pathological about quite a lot marvin's songs (and it got much more so the further into his career it went)



also, since compilations are apparently allowed, i might include the "jackson 5 anthology" on my list... because, among other things, it has this... (-:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GLaODfMqn4[/youtube]

that's actually initially why I chose that track, but upon reading it again, my example would make more sense with a sexier song

My 72% arbitrary early attempt at a list, plus some albums I need to listen to before I can know if/where to put them:

1. Charles Mingus – Let My Children Hear Music (1972)
2. Luciano Cilio – Dialoghi del presente (1977)
3. King Crimson – Red (1974)
4. Can – Future Days (1973)
5. Can – Tago Mago (1971)
6. King Crimson – Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (1973)
7. Miles Davis – On the Corner (1972)
8. Can – Ege Bamyasi (1972)
9. Keith Jarrett – The Koln Concert (1975)
10. Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks (1975)
11. Brian Eno – Another Green World (1975)
12. Keith Jarrett – Solo Concerts: Bremen and Lausanne (1973)
13. Van Morrison – Veedon Fleece (1974)
14. King Crimson – Starless & Bible Black (1974)
15. Kraftwerk – Trans-Europe Express (1977)
16. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory (1970)
17. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
18. Cecil Taylor – Silent Tongues (1975)
19. Jimi Hendrix – Band of Gypsys (1970)
20. Tangerine Dream – Phaedra (1974)
21. Fela Kuti – Confusion (1975)
22. Ornette Coleman – Science Fiction (1972)
23. Talking Heads – Fear of Music (1979)
24. Fela Kuti – Gentleman (1973)
25. Dave Holland – Conference of the Birds (1973)
26. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (1975)
27. Anthony Braxton – For Alto (1971)
28. Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Bright Moments (1973)
29. Keith Jarrett – Sun Bear Concerts (1978)
30. Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy (1973)
31. Van Morrison – Moondance (1970)
32. Miles Davis – Bitches Brew (1970)
33. Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds of Fire (1973)
34. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
35. Funkadelic – Maggot Brain (1971)
36. Talking Heads – More Songs About Building and Food (1978)
37. Neu! – Neu! (1971)
38. Philip Glass – North Star (1977)
39. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III (1970)
40. Pink Floyd – Meddle (1971)
41. Steve Reich – Music for 18 Musicians (1978)
42. Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (1975)
43. Mahavishnu Orchestra – The Inner Mounting Flame (1971)
44. Van Morrison – Saint Dominic’s Preview (1972)
45. Talking Heads – Talking Heads: 77 (1977)
46. Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Prepare Thyself to Deal with a Miracle (1973)
47. Miles Davis – Agharta (1975)
48. Miles Davis – A Tribute to Jack Johnson (1971)
49. Shakti – Natural Elements (1977)
50. Miles Davis – Live-Evil (1971)

Miles Davis – Pangaea
Dave Holland and Barre Phillips – Music From Two Basses
Keith Jarrett – Facing You
Keith Jarrett – The Survivors’ Suite
Charles Mingus – Changes Two
Van Morrison – It’s Too Late to Stop Now
McCoy Tyner – Echoes of a Friend



Going to check RYM now for things I might have missed. Feel free to suggest things, but if it's something really obvious, don't bother, because I've already rejected it. So, for instance, don't recommend "What's Going On", because that album is cloying and bad.

nice work

yeah i don't have WGO in my list either, except for 3 or 4 tracks, i don't feel that album anymore.

have you heard any art ensemble of chicago pnoom?

I'm surprised you're not a Marquee Moon guy.

Nope. Happy to check one out (maybe more if it wows me). Got a rec?

@Rudy: I used to love it. It's fallen by the "I never get the urge to listen to it" wayside. If I relistened it might make my list toward the bottom, and I just don't care enough to bother at that point.

Boy, Cosmo's Factory is going to do well on this. Not only is it a great album, but it's something with very broad appeal. Pnoom's list and mine are mostly in very different areas of music, but we've got CCR in common.

here's my list so far, based solely off my itunes. still have to peruse my CD collection to make sure I didn't miss any big ones


1. Earth, Wind & Fire – “The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire vol. I”
2. Nick Drake – “Pink Moon”
3. Stevie Wonder – “Innervisions”
4. Matt Molloy , Paul Brady, Tommy Peoples – Molloy, Brady, Peoples
5. Marvin Gaye – “What’s Going On”
6. Earth, Wind & Fire – “That’s the Way of the World”
7. Marvin Gaye – “Let’s Get it On”
8. The Chieftains – “Live!”
9. Stevie Wonder – “Talking Book”
10. Nick Drake – “Bryter Layter”
11. Joni Mitchell – “Blue”
12. Michael Jackson – “Off the Wall”
13. Al Green – “Let’s Stay Together”
14. The Chieftains – “The Chieftains 7”
15. The Spinners – “The Best of the Spinners”
16. Teddy Pendergrass – “Teddy”
17. Al Green – “Call Me”
18. Matt Molloy – “Stony Steps”
19. Van Morrison – “Moondance”
20. Funkadelic – “Maggot Brain”
21. Hubert Laws – “San Francisco Concert”
22. Earth, Wind & Fire – “Spirit”
23. Yes – “Fragile”
24. Al Green – “I’m Still in Love with You”
25. Sly and the Family Stone – “Fresh”
26. Isley Brothers – “3+3”
27. Herbie Hancock – “Headhunters”
28. David Bowie – “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars”
29. Curtis Mayfield – “Curtis”
30. Teddy Pendergrass – “Life is a Song Worth Singing”
31. Elton John – “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”
32. The Stylistics – “The Stylistics”
33. The Stylistics – “Round Two”
34. George Benson – “Breezin”
35. Fela Kuti – “Expensive Shit”
36. Prince – “Prince”
37. The Crusaders – “Free as the Wind”
38. Hubert Laws – “In the Beginning”
39. Santana – “Abraxas”
40. Funkadelic – “One Nation Under a Groove”
41. George Duke – “Feel”
42. Yes – “Close to the Edge”
43. Jimmy Castor Bunch – “The Jimmy Castor Bunch”
44. Funkadelic – “Uncle Jam Wants You
45. George Duke – “The Aura Will Prevail”
46. Sly & the Family Stone – “There’s a Riot Going On”
47. Parliament – “Mothership Connection”
48. Pink Floyd - Meddle
49. Hubert Laws – “Afro Classic”
50. The Bar Kays – “Injoy”


ordering 5-9 is going to be torture. the rest i feel fairly confident about

you could try 'les stances a sophie', i think you might like that quite a bit.

Great list, batman!

will, are you familiar with rev. al's "the belle album"?

thanks, bruno!

george, I am not. how is it?

also, if anyone has not checked out "Let's Get it On" past the title track, two good reasons to pick up the whole thing

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv4Xk7xJHOE[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBTdju3odJs[/youtube]