My Top 20 Lists that I compiled as a kid 1973-1990

[Catfish]

November 1976 List
----------------------
1. Led Zeppelin (No change)
2. Aerosmith (No change)
3. Boston (+12)
4. Moody Blues (-1)
5. Emerson Lake and Palmer(-1)
6. Kiss (No change)
7. Foghat (No change)
8. Synergy (+2)
9. Queen (-4)
10. Chicago (No change)
11. Black Sabbath (+2)
12. The Who (-4)
13. Alice Cooper (-4)
14. Michael Pinder (New)
15. Jefferson Starship (New)
16. Steve Miller Band (No change)
17. Jethro Tull (-5)
18. Robin Trower (-4)
19. BTO (-2)
20. Nazareth (-2)

Vinyl/Tapes added
============
Boston- Self Titled
Uriah Heep- Live
Emerson Lake and Palmer- Trilogy
Alice Cooper- Welcome to my Nightmare
Led Zeppelin- Presence
Justin Hayward and John Lodge- Blue Jays
Ray Thomas- Ocean's Edge


Jefferson Starship- Reincarnation of the successful '60's band Jefferson Airplane. Adjusted style toward more mid '70's production AOR direction. Had a pretty consistent streak of hits. Still considering their '60's pioneering counter-culure legacy, I was surprised with what might have been see as a "sell out". Each has an opionion on this move. I saw it as a negative.

 

[Catfish]

December 1976 List
------------------------
1. Led Zeppelin (No Change)
2. Boston (+1)
3. The Moody Blues (+1)
4. Aerosmith (-2)
5. Emerson Lake and Palmer (No change)
6. Foghat (+1)
7. Kiss (-1)
8. Synergy (No change)
9. Queen (No change)
10. Chicago (No change)
11. The Who (+1)
12. Steve Miller Band (+4)
13. Black Sabbath (-2)
14. Alice Cooper (-1)
15. Jefferson Starship (No change)
16. BTO (+3)
17. Robin Trower (+1)
18. Jethro Tull (-1)
19. Nazareth (+1)
20. Deep Purple (New)

Vinyl/Tape added
---------------------
Rod Stewart- Sing it Again

 

[Catfish]

January 1977 list
---------------------
1. Led Zeppelin (No change)
2. Boston (No change)
3. Aerosmith (+1)
4. Moody Blues (-1)
5. Emerson Lake and Palmer (No change)
6. Kiss (+1)
7. Synergy (+1)
8. Foghat (-2)
9. Queen (No change)
10. Chicago (No change)
11. Steve Miller (+1)
12. The Who (-1)
13. Robin Trower (+4)
14. Alice Cooper (No change)
15. Black Sabbath (-2)
16. BTO (No change)
17. Rush (New)
18. Jefferson Starship (-3)
19. Deep Purple (+1)
20. Jethro Tull (-2)

Vinyl/Tape additions
------------------------

Rush- All the World's a Stage
Moody Blues- 7th Sojourn
Nazareth- Loud and Proud

Rush- I know I really need to contain myself trying to quantify and qualify the career of my favorite band of all time, by far. Rather than making it a 1000 word narrative, I just ask that the reader who may not be familar to this band, sample a few dozen of their tunes on YT. I can honestly say that this particular band embodies the traits of consistency , workmanship, and ultimate talent. The sound just these three produce come across as a full rock orchestra. 6 hands and feet never were this talented.

Picking an introductory tune as an introduction would be a very difficult decision. I'd might start with their most famous (Tom Sawyer), but realized that one has been overplayed, and may not be new ground for many. Xanadu would be my next choice, but wouldn't want to be a tune that is so strongly synth based. Then I thought of 2112, but not many would want to sit through 20 minutes (its above anyway). I finally decided to go with a live version of "Natural Science". Though it doesn't showcase Neil Peart's drum wizardry as much as other tunes, it really is a great tune showing the bands excessviely talented ability to use key and time changes at a whim. Complexity at is best.

 

[Catfish]

February 1977 List
----------------------
1. Led Zeppelin (No change)
2. Aerosmith (+1)
3. Moody Blues (+1)
4. Boston (-2)
5. Rush (+12)
6. Emerson Lake and Palmer (-1)
7. Foghat (+1)
8. Synergy (-1)
9. The Who (+3)
10. Kiss (-4)
11. Queen (+3)
12. Steve Miller (-1)
13. Chicago (-3)
14. Robin Trower (-1)
15. BTO (+1)
16. Alice Cooper (-2)
17. Black Sabbath (-2)
18. Nazareth (New)
19. Deep Purple (No change)
20 Jethro Tull (No change)

Vinyl/tape additions-
-------------------------
Beatles- Abbey Road
Foghat- Night Shift

 

[Catfish]

March 1977 List
----------------------
1. Led Zeppelin (No change)
2. Aerosmith (No change)
3. Boston (+1)
4. Moody Blues (-1)
5. Rush (No change)
6. Foghat (+1)
7. Emerson Lake and Palmer (-1)
8. Kiss (+2)
9. The Who (No change)
10. Queen (+1)
11. Chicago (+2)
12. Synergy (-4)
13. Robin Trower (+1)
14. Steve Miller Band (-2)
15. BTO (No change)
16. ZZ Top (New)
17. Alice Cooper (-1)
18. Black Sabbath (-1)
19. Deep Purple (No Change)
20. Nazareth (-2)

Vinyl/Tapes added -
------------------------
ZZ Top- Fandango

Concert attended- Point Blank and ZZ Top- March 23, 1977. Cost on stub (I kept 'em all) was $7.00 - Fantastic Concert. Gave it 3 1/2 stars at the time. Pretty much all of their catalog was covered. That is how energetic they were. Band played close to 4 hours, and at about midnight Billy announced they were going to play until no one was left. Sadly, the Civic Center turned on the lights after the next tune. . ZZ Top is a Texas institution, and are true legends.

 

[Catfish]

April 1977 List
---------------------
1. Led Zeppelin- (No change)
2. Aerosmith (No change)
3. Boston (No Change)
4. Moody Blues (No Change)
5. Rush (No change)
6. Foghat (No change)
7. Emerson Lake and Palmer (No change)
8. Kiss (No change)
9. ZZ Top (+7)
10. The Who (-1)
11. Queen (-1)
12. Chicago (-1)
13. Robin Trower (No Change)
14. Steve Miller (No change)
15. Deep Purple (+4)
16. Synergy (-4)
17. BTO (-2)
18. Alice Cooper (-1)
19. Black Sabbath (-1)
20 Nazareth (No change)

Vinyl/Tape additions-
--------------------------
Rick Wakeman- Journey to the Center of the Earth
Aerosmith- Rocks
10 Years After- Live

 

[That 70s Guy]

Wow you kept a record of everything!!

Quite impressive.

 

[Catfish]

Wow you kept a record of everything!!

Quite impressive.

Thanks. Not sure why I did, but thankfully all mothers don't throw everything out after you grow up.

 

[Catfish]

May 1977 List
----------------------
1. Led Zeppelin- (No change)
2. Boston (+1)
3. Aerosmith (-1)
4. Moody Blues (No change)
5. Emerson Lake and Palmer (+2)
6. Foghat (No change)
7. Rush (-2)
8. Eagles (New)
9. Kiss (-1)
10. ZZ Top (-1)
11. Queen (No change)
12. The Who (-2)
13. Ted Nugent (New)
14. Chicago (-2)
15. Steve Miller (-1)
16. Deep Purple (-1)
17. Kansas (New)
18. Nazareth (+2)
19. Robin Trower (-6)
20. BTO (-3)

New Vinyl/tapes added-
----------------------------
Eagles- Hotel California



Eagles- Probably not much I can cover about the Eagles that you already don't know. They were the most significant country-tinged rock band on the scene, and sold 10's of millions of records even before Hotel California. In the early days, I thought they were pretty good, but maybe just not my cup of tea. Then in 1976...BAM!!! They added Joe Walsh, and became a powerhouse. These guys were already some of the best song writers in the business, but then add Walsh's edge? It was fantastic blend, and Hotel California and the The Long Run is what I consider the golden age of the Eagles. As far as a sleeper from Hotel California, I suggest "The Last Resort" It is the Eagles most beautiful and heartful tune. And sits stangley and ominously among the others on the LP

Ted Nugent- Before Uncle Ted was knocking liberal heads, he was pretty much apolitical. He had a significant 10 year stint with the Amboy Dukes being the backbone ax of a heavy sound, including some work that is considered some of the first in the psychedelia genre. No doubt was Ted was a maniac with wide ranging riffs on his Gibson. It's a long listen, but I suggest Stranglhold for Nugent's sample tune on this post. Great White Buffalo is a fine tune, if you want more of him from that mid 70's era.

Kansas-There are few more talented than Kansas in execution in both studio and live. As you can see as my tastes evolved, you are seeing more singer songrwriters, and Prog. There aren't too many albums presently that I like to listen to in their entirety. Leftoverture is an exception. This album and the next "Point of No Return" dominated air play, our dormitories, and 8 tracks all around. Now the fact that Kansas is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is absolutely criminal. Everyone who knows anything about rock and roll knows how influential and powerful this band is. They don't need validation from a dozen Rolling Stoned Magazine short bus dwellers.

Rather than suggest the exhaustively heavily played "Carry on Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind", I am suggesting a more obscure, though no less of a masterpiece....... Sparks of the Tempest has great complexity and melodic sensibilites that in some ways blends a number of Kansas' styles into a single song. Spectacular.

 

[Catfish]

June 1977 List
---------------------
1. Led Zeppelin (No change)
2. Boston (No change)
3. Aerosmith (No change)
4. Emerson Lake and Palmer (+1)
5. Moody Blues (-1)
6. Rush (+1)
7. Foghat (-1)
8. ZZ Top (+2)
9. Eagles (-1)
10. Queen (+1)
11. Robin Trower (+8)
12. Kiss (-3)
13. The Who (-1)
14. Nazareth (+4)
15. Deep Purple (+1)
16. Chicago (-2)
17. Steve Miller (-2)
18. Black Sabbath (New)
19. Ted Nugent (-6)
20. BTO (No change)

Vinyl/tape additions-
--------------------------
Rush- All the World's a Stage
Yes- Fragile