So I haven't been as prolific as I thought but so far I really like Pond's more mellow stuff. Maston is very interesting with the BW/VDP influence but I wish his vocals weren't so buried in reverb, I really like the instrumentation though. And I really dig White Fence too. Still need to try out Syd Arthur and Dungen. Methinks I'll add these to my "Modern Histrionics" playlist.

My Kinks obsession began with hearing "Sunny Afternoon" on one fine evening, I then went and got Face To Face and loved most of the album, especially the trippy "Rainy Day in June", raga-esque "Fancy", and the surf-ish "Holiday In Waikiki". Then moved onto Something Else By The Kinks, which is my second or tied-for-first favorite album by them, including "Waterloo Sunset", "David Watts", "Death of a Clown" (possibly Dave Davies' greatest song), and can't forget "Lazy Old Sun". Their masterpiece, in my opinion, is "Village Green Preservation Society", this was basically their Pet Sounds. Every track is sheer excellence, but better off listened to as a whole. Standout tracks are "Do You Remember Walter", "Picture Book", "Last of the Steam-Powered Trains", "Animal Farm", and "Monica". As Bubbly Waves was mentioning, their many non-album singles are all brilliant too. Don't get me started on The Kinks!

It's an interesting question because some of us (myself, Judd, undercover-m) are probably in the age range the question is asking about. I can't imagine I'll be ashamed in the future of anything I'm listening to in the present, but I guess that's the point. None of us really know, and that's what makes the question entertaining. I'll come back in twenty years and let you all know. As for stuff I actually listened to when I was younger, I remember watching a particular Backstreet Boys VHS tape constantly. I'm definitely not ashamed of it, though I think that's the sort of thing the question would normally be looking for. There is one band, though, that is particularly heinous and that I've never told anyone about.

I'm still not ready to talk about it.

I, too, was a Backstreet Boys fanatic when I was a wee lad. That and Hanson.

Look how I've grown, ma. It's funny looking back on all the boy-bands and sh*t from the 90's and realizing how they were a synthetic-cheese knockoff of vocal groups like The Beach Boys. And then thinking of how The Beach Boys' mid-late 80's output quite possibly invented said synthetic-cheese for future generations. (don't crucify me)

Hah negative haven't seen that but very nice. And really hoping I can make that festival for Pet Sounds in it's entirety. I saw BW in Dallas last year with Rodriguez. If you guys haven't heard of him you should check him out. His story is insane and there's a nice documentary that captures it.

That's weird because I actually thought they were from Austin haha. (The Growlers) but speaking of local, The Black Angels/Christian Bland are fairly local to me (notwith the size of Texas) and they actually created Austin Psych Fest which is now 'Levitation'.

PS: I'm currently checking out all of the bands previously mentioned. Will listen to most tonight and I'll let ya know what I think. Might take a while haha

Some bands, you may or may not have heard of, that I would recommend are:
Kurt Vile
Thee Oh Sees
The Growlers
Chad VanGaalen
Vashti Bunyan's 2005 album (if we can even consider that new anymore)

Dan Deacon "When I Was Done Dying"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuJqUvBj4rE

and Christian Bland & The Revelators (Black Angels side project) - "Brian Wilson"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBlHDfjd0zE

Yeah, neo-psychedelic groups are definitely easier for me to get into than anything else, or at least those who border psychedelia with folk, or blues, or pop. I like Devendra Banhart, some of Jack White's new stuff is interesting, I like the Fleet Foxes more Beach Boys Go Camping kind of stuff. And I do like Animal Collective. Some of their more strobe-light vocals are a bit difficult for me to get into - mostly just because it's so unyieldingly inhuman haha but I can definitely dig it if I'm in the right mood. Never heard of Pond but they sound promising. I'll have to check out those others as well. Thanks!

Haha I do like Big Star, Badfinger, Teenage Fanclub, XTC, and Rain Parade.

Of new music, I like Tame Impala, Woods, Foxygen, Flaming Lips of course - any GREAT bands like these left to be discovered?

I actually really did like Wish I Was Here when I heard it on the film. Definitely seemed like a return. Twas a classic move since they were so prominent in Garden State. It didn't come out on a proper album, right? Just the soundtrack?

Well, if you need help getting into today's music, I'm always ready to give suggestions .

And yes, I'm always open to recommendations. I long for a contemporary masterpiece like nothing else - if you know something I don't, please share!

I like the Shins more than Broken Bells, I guess because I don't usually prefer synth-y, electronic-y music.

I hear that. One that really caught me off guard was Tame Impala's new record being so synth-heavy. Suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised since that's the common trajectory of most great modern bands, unfortunately. I dig a lot of it but it's just not the same as his previous masterpieces. I'm hoping on the next outing it'll return a bit more to the source.

It's cool that some of you can do / are doing this. It's the sort of thing I used to spend absurd amounts of time trying to do, but these days I just think it's Sisyphean: I start debating what I even mean by "greatest," realize it's just my own impression, start wondering who's going to think what about my life, change my mind about this or that, start debating which genres to include (as my jazz collection comes to mind), etc.

But what I love about these lists is that when I see someone else's, I sometimes get ideas from albums I don't have, haven't heard, have ignored for too long, etc. That's the real value for me: discovery or conversation starters. So while I won't participate for reasons like those above, I do want to say thanks for your lists.

Hah I feel ya man. When I was compiling these a couple years back it turned pretty hectic when I began contemplating those same issues. I tried remaining impartial but it's nearly impossible, especially when it comes to my favorite decade of music. I love jazz but I love pop/rock far more so I tried tagging some in during peak years, and of course, there's the controversy of albums from other countries/in foreign languages that are often ignored in these kinds of lists, so I also tried throwing in some non-english albums as well. Brazilian bands were particularly impressive during this period.

And yes, I too find lists like these, by others, to be very useful, especially back in the day when I was a mere fledgling obsessive.

1. Love And Mercy
2. Getcha Back
3. Melt Away
4. Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long
5. Crack At Your Love
6. Little Children
7. Water Builds Up
8. One For The Boys
9. California Calling
10. There's So Many
11. Being With The One You Love
12. Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight
13. Rio Grande

Greatest Albums of 1968

• 1.   Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
  2.   The Kinks - Village Green Preservation Society
  3.   The Beatles - White Album
  4.   Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
  5.   The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet
  6.   Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends
  7.   The Zombies - Odessey & Oracle
  8.   The Band - Music From Big Pink
  9.   The Byrds - Notorious Byrd Brothers
  10.   Cream - Wheels of Fire
  11.   Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle
  12.   The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo
  13.   The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat
  14.   Dr. John - Gris-Gris
  15.   Incredible String Band - The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
  16.   The United States of America - S/T
  17.   The Beach Boys - Friends
  18.   The Move - S/T
  19.   Scott Walker - Scott 2
  20.   Small Faces - Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
  21.   Pink Floyd - A Saucerful of Secrets
  22.   Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul
  23.   Os Mutantes - S/T
  24.   Randy Newman - S/T
  25.   Silver Apples - S/T
  26.   The Grateful Dead - Anthem of the Sun
  27.   Big Brother & The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills
  28.   The Who - Magic Bus On Tour
  29.   Donovan - Hurdy Gurdy Man
  30.   The Monkees - Head
  31.   The Pretty Things - SF Sorrow
  32.   The Everly Brothers - Roots
  33.   Lee Hazlewood - Love & Other Crimes
  34.   Otis Redding - Dock of the Bay
  35.   The Mothers of Invention - We're Only In It For The Money
  36.   Magic Sam - Black Magic
  37.   The Soft Machine - S/T
  38.   Caetano Veloso - S/T
  39.   Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Strictly Personal
  40.   The Red Krayola - God Bless The Red Krayola
  41.   Harry Nilsson - Aerial Ballet
  42.   Harumi - S/T
  43.   Dillard & Clark - The Fantastic Expedition
  44.   Gilberto Gil - S/T
  45.   Sly & The Family Stone - Life
  46.   Steve Miller Band – Children of the Future
  47.   The Idle Race - The Birthday Party
  48.   Bruce Haack - Way-Out Album for Children
  49.   Pentangle - Sweet Child
  50.   Pearls Before Swine - Balaklava
  

Back by popular demand I, herein, shall resurrect this thread. My lists have not been updated since this thread was started, so in the last 2 years, I'm sure I would have added or removed some from the lists, but I do not have the time to review them all - so I will post as-is. Here goes the neighborhood..

Greatest Albums of 1965

• 1.   Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
  2.   The Beatles - Rubber Soul
  3.   Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home
  4.   The Beach Boys - Today!
  5.   The Rolling Stones – Out of Our Heads
  6.   The Who - My Generation
  7.   The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
  8.   The Kinks - Kink Kontroversy
  9.   The Beach Boys – Summer Days (And Summer Nights)
  10.   Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Going To A Go-Go
  11.   Yardbirds - Having A Rave-Up
  12.   Otis Redding - Otis Blue
  13.   The Beatles - Help!
  14.   The Rolling Stones – Now!
  15.   The Zombies - S/T
  16.   The Temptations - Sing Smokey
  17.   The Impressions - People Get Ready
  18.   John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
  19.   The Sonics - Here Are The Sonics
  20.   The Kinks - Kinda Kinks
  21.   The Supremes - More Hits By The Supremes
  22.   Bert Jansch - S/T
  23.   Patty Waters - Sings
  24.   Miles Davis - My Funny Valentine
  25.   Donovan - What's Been Did & What's Been Hid
  26.   Donovan - Fairytale
  27.   Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Rip, Rig & Panic
  28.   Them - The Angry Young Them
  29.   Buck Owens & His Buckaroos – I’ve Got a Tiger By The Tail
  30.   Johnny Cash - Sings The Ballads of the True West
  31.   Paul Butterfield Blues Band - S/T
  32.   Toots & The Maytals – The Sensational Maytals
  33.   Martin Carthy – S/T
  34.   The Shangri-Las – Shangri-Las-65!
  35.   Temptations - The Temptin' Temptations
  36.   John Fahey – Dance of Death and Other Plantation Favorites
  37.   Miles Davis - ESP
  38.   The Rolling Stones - December's Children
  39.   The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn!
  40.   Skip James - Today!
  41.   The Fugs - First Album
  42.   Nina Simone - Pastel Blues
  43.   John Fahey - Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death
  44.   Jackson C. Frank - S/T
  45.   The Pretty Things - S/T
  46.   Phil Ochs - I Ain't Marching Anymore
  47.   Sun Ra - The Heliocentric Worlds, Volume 1
  48.   B.B. King - Live At The Regal
  49.   Astrud Gilberto - The Astrud Gilberto Album
  50.   Junior Wells’ Chicago Blues Band – Hoodoo Man Blues
  

I think that thread might have stalled due to your absence.
I'll play along while I await the (hopeful) resurrection of the album thread.

Well, then perhaps the resurrection will come sooner than you think. Here's another one for the meantime:

Best of 1967

1. Lady Friend - The Byrds
2. Death Of A Clown - The Kinks
3. Here Comes My Baby - Cat Stevens
4. Every Christian Lion-Hearted Man - The Bee Gees
5. Flight From Ashya - Kaleidoscope [UK]
6. Pentecost Hotel - Nirvana [UK]
7. Time Will Show The Wiser - The Merry-Go-Round
8. Andmoreagain - Love
9. Heroes & Villains - The Beach Boys
10. Shadows Breaking Over My Head - The Left Banke
11. Nights In White Satin - The Moody Blues
12. A Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum
13. Beechwood Park - The Zombies
14. Daily Nightly - The Monkees
15. Somebody To Love - Jefferson Airplane
16. Wear Your Love Like Heaven - Donovan
17. Let's Live For Today - The Grass Roots
18. Happy Together - The Turtles
19. Yellow Brick Road - Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
20. Chain of Fools - Aretha Franklin
21. You're Lost Little Girl - The Doors
22. Get Together - The Youngbloods
23. Friday On My Mind - The Easybeats
24. Poem By The Sea - Eric Burdon & The Animals
25. Museum - Herman's Hermits
26. Hello, Hello - Sopwith Camel
27. Expecting To Fly - Buffalo Springfield
28. This Wheel's On Fire - Bob Dylan
29. Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream
30. The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice - Jimi Hendrix
31. Dear Mr. Fantasy - Traffic
32. Pictures of Lily - The Who
33. Hallucinations - Tim Buckley
34. Incense and Peppermints - Strawberry Alarm Clock
35. For Baby - Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart
36. Cream Puff War - Grateful Dead
37. Ruby Tuesday - The Rolling Stones
38. Chinese White - The Incredible String Band
39. I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night - The Electric Prunes
40. See Emily Play - Pink Floyd
41. My World Fell Down - Sagittarius
42. Amen - Rotary Connection
43. My Time - Pretty Things
44. The Fairest of The Seasons - Nico
46. The Little Black Egg - The Nightcrawlers
47. Dedicated To The One I Love - The Mamas & The Papas
48. All Tomorrow's Parties - The Velvet Underground
49. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise) - The Beatles
50. A Day In The Life - The Beatles

I can't speak on behalf of Abba but The Bee Gees had some decent tracks. I mean, obviously they're best known for "Stayin' Alive" and "How Deep Is Your Love". Which are fine tracks, indeed, but I particularly like their earlier stuff from the late 60's - "Every Christian Lion-Hearted Man", "Holiday", "New York Mining Disaster 1941", "I Started A Joke", "I've Gotta Get A Message To You", "World", "Massachusetts", "Odessa (City On The Black Sea)", "Melody Fair"... and on and on...

Hah - I agree. I believe it was the first 'emo' song. Love it, though. And yeah, I had wished that thread would've gone a bit further. Here's to this one.

So I've made a few playlists based off of my favorite/the biggest singles/album tracks per year, particularly the decade of the 60's. I tried to manage it somewhat chronologically by single/album release but there are some exceptions for sequencing reasons. Keep in mind that exclusions had to be made per CD length (edit: it seems I may have messed with my itunes since because some are not to the capacity of a full CD)  and feel free to add to said lists or make your own:

I have a 1967 but I thought I'd start with the best, as well as it being designed for 2 CD's so it's much longer. Will post later with some other years if this thread even gets off the ground.

Best of 1966 (The Peak of Popular Music)

1. I Am A Rock - Simon & Garfunkel
2. Daydream - The Lovin' Spoonful
3. California Dreamin' - The Mamas & The Papas
4. My Little Red Book - Love
5. I Am Waiting - The Rolling Stones
6. One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later) - Bob Dylan
7. I Know There's An Answer - The Beach Boys
8. Walk Away Renee - The Left Banke
9. River Deep, Mountain High - Ike & Tina Turner
10. How Could I Be Such A Fool - The Mothers of Invention
11. Over Under Sideways Down - The Yardbirds
12. 5D (Fifth Dimension) - The Byrds
13. Tomorrow Never Knows - The Beatles
14. It's No Secret - Jefferson Airplane
15. All Your Love - John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
16. Mary, Mary - Paul Butterfield Blues Band
17. 7 & 7 Is - Love
18. Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song) - Otis Redding
19. Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
20. Fancy - The Kinks
21. Kingdom Of Heaven - The 13th Floor Elevators
22. Out Of My Mind - Buffalo Springfield
23. I Feel Free - Cream
24. Happy Jack - The Who

Best of 1965 (The Great Awakening)
1. Tell Her No - The Zombies
2. Heart Of Stone - The Rolling Stones
3. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - The Animals
4. Emotions - The Impressions
5. See My Friends - The Kinks
6. She Knows Me Too Well - The Beach Boys
7. Heaven Only Knows - The Shangri-Las
8. Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, Pt. 1 - James Brown
9. Gloria - Them
10. Psycho - The Sonics
11. Yes, I'm Ready - Barbara Mason
12. Do-Wacka-Do - Roger Miller
13. Nowhere To Run - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
14. I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better - The Byrds
15. Let Him Run Wild - The Beach Boys
16. Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
17. I Fought The Law - Bobby Fuller
18. I've Been Loving You Too Long - Otis Redding
19. Hang On Sloopy - The McCoys
20. Born In Chicago - Paul Butterfield Blues Band
21. The Tracks Of My Tears - The Miracles
22. Still I'm Sad - The Yardbirds
23. Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind - The Lovin' Spoonful
24. Well Respected Man - The Kinks
25. The Kids Are Alright - The Who
26. In My Life - The Beatles
27. I'm Free - The Rolling Stones

Best of 1964 (The Advent)
1. All I've Got To Do - The Beatles
2. Boots Of Spanish Leather - Bob Dylan
3. A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke
4. Don't Worry Baby - The Beach Boys
5. Needles & Pins - The Searchers
6. Zoot Suit - The High Numbers (aka The Who)
7. Time Is On My Side - The Rolling Stones
8. Wish Someone Would Care - Irma Thomas
9. You Really Got Me - The Kinks
10. The Witch - The Sonics
11. Rosalyn - The Pretty Things
12. A Summer Song - Chad & Jeremy
13. As Tears Go By - Marianne Faithfull
14. Goin' Out Of My Head - Little Anthony & The Imperials
15. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - The Righteous Brothers
16. Remember (Walkin' In The Sand - The Shangri-Las
17. We'll Run Away - The Beach Boys
18. Walk On By - Dionne Warwick
19. Spanish Harlem Incident - Bob Dylan
20. Keep On Pushin' - The Impressions
21. Where Did Our Love Go - The Supremes
22. I'm In Love Again - The Animals
23. Congratulations - The Rolling Stones
24. Walking In The Rain - The Ronettes
25. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself - Dusty Springfield
26. The Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
27. Baby Please Don't Go - Them

[I edited it slightly - decided Dennis Wilson didn't release solo albums in my alternate universe haha]

'78 Adult/Child (I edited it slightly - decided Dennis Wilson didn't release solo albums in my alternate universe haha)

1. Life Is For the Living
2. Everybody Wants To Live
3. It's Trying To Say
4. Sherry She Needs Me (MIC)
5. Deep Purple
6. That Special Feeling (don't even remember what this is from but I love it)
7. Shortenin' Bread
8. Talk To Me (15BO)
9. Love Remember Me (Bambu)
10. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling (MIC)
11. Lines
12. Still I Dream Of It
13. End Of The Show (POB)
14. New England Waltz (Get The Boot)
15. It's Over Now

'78b Maharishi University (I'll be honest I really don't care for MIU or LA so I sought help from DW)
1. Wild Situation (Bambu)
2. Winds of Change
3. He's A Bum
4. Only With You (POB reissue)
5. She's Got Rhythm
6. Sweet Sunday
7. Dreamer
8. Go And Get That Girl
9. Time
10. Wontcha Come Out Tonight
11. Cocktails
12. How's About A Little Bit
13. Under The Moonlight

'79 Light Album
1. Constant Companion
2. Time For Bed
3. Drip Drop (Teardrops On My Bed)
4. Looking Down The Coast
5. Santa Ana Winds (alternate)
6. Full Sail
7. Baby Blue (alternate)
8. I'm Beggin' You Please
9. Brian's Back
10. I Love You
11. It's Not Too Late
12. Love Surrounds Me
13. Goin' South

Speaking of "Cool, Cool Water" - does anyone know the EXACT date when the "Water Chant" section from said song, as well as "I Love To Say Dada" was recorded? In AGD's session notes he has a session for "Cool, Cool Water" October 29th, which is after listed dates pertaining to versions 1 & 2, which I'm assuming are related to versions 1 & 2 according to Smile Sessions boxset (I could be assuming wrong). I've heard here and there that the "Water Chant" as we know it, from those songs, wasn't recorded until the Wild Honey sessions so I'm guessing this would be the earliest date of this song, aside from previously listed versions that do not contain that chant.

Olivia Tremor Control - "Do You Like Worms? (Do You Dig Worms?)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN31urwP03I

Probably exactly what the song would have been had Brian Wilson been born in 1980.

Here's The Flaming Lips' version of "God Only Knows"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge-U_vLt-Us

Katrina Mitchell on "Wind Chimes" - really sheds a light of beauty on the Smiley Smile version of the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzhtrvHDSFg

"A tad hipster-ish"

That could almost sum up the entirety of the Shins, if you ask me. Point of Morrow does sound really good, though. So you should check that out.

You didn't ask (nor should you), but if there is anything I would ever advise anyone against doing in their musical self-education, it's "moving backwards into ONLY music from '60s and '70s." I more or less did that from roughly '93 or '94 until roughly the turn of the century. While obviously there is a ton of great music from that era that takes an eternity to absorb, you inevitably miss plenty of great current stuff, however horrible it seems at the time.

I know, I know. I actually made my New Years' resolution (last year) to only listen to contemporary music for the entirety of the month of January. I only lasted until 01/04/2015. Perhaps I didn't try hard enough, perhaps there's just too little to grasp onto. I do like a select handful of modern artists, but they're slim pickin's.

I'll have to check that out. Some of the artist contributions listed make it sound kind of soft-rocky but I'll definitely take a look-see. Dunno if you've listened to these but most of the top few ones in the list are mostly indie-ish/neo-psychedelic-y bands. The Flaming Lips cover of "God Only Knows" and Olivia Tremor Control's "Do You Dig Worms?" are to die-for. As well as everything on Caroline Now!

Hoax! Just kidding. How beautiful. If these are real you're a golden god - and the guy that supplied them.