Top 5 of 1975!!

Like I mentioned in the Anniversary Article for this year, this was a year of transition, with prog rock phasing out and arena rock taking over.  Still, this meant a lot of good albums, and putting together this Top 5 was harder than it seemed.  As usual, I want to note that I'm just one guy with limited time, listening to what I can, and I'm keeping things within the scope of the blog, so this isn't going to be the most comprehensive list ever.

I did want to talk about a few honorable mentions, though.  While Black Sabbath and Scorpions had some decent stuff, those albums are a little clunky, and even though Rush had two albums this year, neither of them made it (even though Caress of Steel nearly made it in!).  With that out of the way, here's my Top 5 for 1975!

5. Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

Sure, it might not be their best album, but this was the world's introduction to the titanic singer Ronnie James Dio, and his presence is immediately felt with "Man on the Silver Mountain."  While the album does get a bit goofy here and there, I find it to be pretty consistent in quality, and so it squeezes in here at number 5.

4. Queen - Night at the Opera

Like I mentioned when I reviewed this, it would be impossible to talk about this decade without Queen, and this album is a major reason why.  I have to admit it was tough to decide whether or not I liked this more than Zeppelin's work, but in the end, fourth is not a bad place to be.

3. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

Again, this an obvious choice.  While their definitely experimenting with their sound, they still dominate the hard rock scene with titanic songs like "Kashmir" and "Ten Years Gone."  Being a double album, I will say that it's probably a bit too long, but that doesn't make the album any less amazing.

2. Styx - Equinox

I won't deny that Styx is one of my favorite bands, and even a clunky album of theirs will still rate highly for me.  It's a bit of a janky listen, but with catchy rockers like "Lorelei," "Lonely Child," and "Midnight Ride," the album gets plenty of play.  That awesome riff in the middle of "Suite Madame Blue" seals the deal.

1. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

However, this year is dominated by Pink Floyd's follow up to The Dark Side of the Moon.  While it doesn't get the same level of acclaim as their iconic album, I still think there's a lot going on with this one as well as they perfect their iconic sound.  If you really want to see me gush about this album, go check out the band retrospective I did four years ago, but suffice it to say, this is one of my favorite albums, so it's no surprise to me that it takes the crown for 1975.