Anniversary Series - 1971!

Yup, we're back with these again!  I just want to say up front that 1971 is an incredible year for rock music.  Lots of great stuff came out this year, and now we get to celebrate the 50th anniversary of these iconic and excellent albums!

The year starts off with a lot of solid progressive rock.  Yes brings in Steve Howe for The Yes Album, writing the first of many epics in the form of tracks like "Yours Is No Disgrace" and "Starship Trooper," while "Your Move" (the first half of "I've Seen All Good People") found success on the radio.  Jethro Tull would follow up with Aqualung, the title track of which having one of the best opening riffs in all of classic rock.  Emerson Lake and Palmer released Tarkus, and the middle of the year would see albums from Caravan, The Strawbs (then featuring future Yes member Rick Wakeman), and Gentle Giant.

Of course, bands from the 60s were still rocking into the new decade.  The Doors released LA Woman, with big hits like the title track and the epic "Riders on the Storm."  The Rolling Stones were right there with them with Sticky Fingers and "Brown Sugar."  Then The Who released Who's Next, with the massive tracks "Baba O'Riley" and "Wont' Get Fooled Again."  

Hard rock and metal would be busy this year as well.  Alice Cooper released "I'm Eighteen," T. Rex would encourage us to "Get It On," Deep Purple sent out their Fireball, Uriah Heep produced two albums in Salisbury and Look at Yourself, and Black Sabbath would get even heavier with their third album Master of Reality, featuring great riffs with "Children of the Grave" and "Into the Void," and setting the template for many metal bands to follow in the future.

At the end of the year, prog would take over again, as Pink Floyd finally put their melancholy stamp on the genre with Meddle, Genesis told us us a Nursery Cryme, King Crimson had Islands, Emerson Lake and Palmer finally got to release their live interpretation of Pictures at an Exhibition, and Yes would also release a second this year, this one being the renowned Fragile, not only featuring their big hit "Roundabout," but also my favorite Yes track "Heart of the Sunrise."  I absolutely love how it shifts from chaos to peaceful moments, along with Chris Squire's iconic bass solo.  A masterpiece from the band that has been a staple of their live shows for many years to come.

Of course, any discussion of this year wouldn't be complete without Led Zeppelin's epic and mysteriously title fourth album.  Massive tracks like "Black Dog," "Rock & Roll," and "Stairway to Heaven" would become staples of classic rock stations to this very day, and the bane of guitar stores across the country.  Often considered of the one greatest rock albums every recorded, and it's hard to argue against it.

I think that wraps up 1971 pretty well, and I've put them all (along with a few extras) in the playlist below.  If I've missed any, be sure to let me know.  Certainly a great year, and full of albums that I go back to regularly.  Until then, rock on! \m/