Best List

Rationale: the list is a hit parade, based on my personal taste, of the music that has been the soundtrack of my past life. All the albums listed are in my possession in Compact Disc verion, and are grouped by year of publication (this is the original year of publication for reprints and CDs). The live performances and any anthology albums were removed from the list: that's quite obvious for the anthologies, as they are collections of previously released disks, but for the Live albums that's my own personal decision (even if I know there are some live's that have made history!). I also have decided to take only one album when two or more were published by the same group/artist in a solar year.

I have a limited (about 485) collection of CDs, so this is not a complete list of all CDs ever published and there are still many gaps not filled (yet). The list has some vacant spots mainly in the 1980s decade, that I am inclined to consider the "Dark Ages" of contemporary music. I am still searching for obscure and less known artists or albums, so the list is subject to variations in the future.

1969

1. King Crimson - In the Court of Crimson King
2. The Who - Tommy
3. Janis Joplin - I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!
4. Led Zeppelin - II
5. Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority
6. Van Der Graaf Generator - The Aerosol Grey machine
7. The Nice - Five Bridges
8. Frank Zappa - Hot Rats

1970

1. Genesis - Trespass
2. Deep Purple - In Rock
3. Yes - The Yes Album
4. Led Zeppelin - III
5. King Crimson - In the Wake of Poseidon
6. Santana - Abraxas
7. Traffic - John Barleycorn Must Die
8. Andrew Lloyd Webber - Jesus Christ Superstar
9. Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother
10. Van Der Graaf Generator - H to He Who Am the Only One

1971

1. Genesis - Nursery Cryme
2. Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3. Led Zeppelin - untitled (IV)
4. The Who - Who's Next
5. Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink
6. Chicago - Chicago II
7. Pink Floyd - Meddle
8. Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts
9. Jethro Tull - Aqualung
10. Black Sabbath - Paranoid

1972

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1973

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1974

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1975

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1976

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1977

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1978

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1979

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1980

1. Rush - Permanent Waves
2. Journey - Departure
3. Tangerine Dream - Tangram
4. Whitesnake - Ready an' Willing
5. AC/DC - Back in Black

1981

1. Journey - Escape
2. Rush - Moving Pictures
3. Rainbow - Difficult to Cure
4. Iron Maiden - Killers
5. Jon & Vangelis - The Friends from Mr. Cairo

1982

1. Rush - Signals
2. Spyro Gyra - Incognito
3. Rainbow - Straight Between the Eyes
4. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
5. Donald Fagen - The Nightfly

1983

1. Marillion - Script for a Jester's Tear
2. Philip Glass - Koyaanisqatsi
3. Journey - Frontiers
4. Huey Lewis & the News - Sports
5. Van Halen - 1984

1984

1. Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Rising Force
2. Marillion - Fugazi
3. Ozric Tentacles - Erpsongs
4. Steve Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand the Weather
5. Vangelis - Soil Festivities

1985

1. Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Marching Out
2. Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
3. Ozric Tentacles - Tantric Obstacles
4. Joe Lynn Turner - Rescue You
5. Allan Holdsworth - Metal Fatigue

1986

1. Joe Satriani - Not of This Earth
2. Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Trilogy
3. Journey - Raised on Radio
4. Tangerine Dream - Pergamon

1987

1. Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien
2. Marillion - Clutching at Straws
3. Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King
4. David Sylvian - Secrets of the Beehive
5. Gary Moore - Dirty Fingers

1988

1. Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Odyssey
2. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime
3. Tangerine Dream - Live Miles
4. Cacophony - Go Off

1989

1. Dream Theater - When Dream and Day Unite
2. Ozric Tentacles - Pungent Effulgent
3. Joe Satriani - Flying in a Blue Dream
4. Savatage - Gutter Ballet

1990

1. Gary Moore - Still Got the Blues
2. Megadeth - Rust in Peace
3. Deep Purple - Slaves and Masters
4. Steve Vai - Passion & Warfare
5. Ozric Tentacles - Erpland

1991

1. Magellan - Hour of Restoration
2. Savatage - Streets
3. Ozric Tentacles - Strangeitude

1992

1. Dream Theater - Images and Words
2. Gary Moore - After Hours
3. Joe Satriani - The Extremist
4. Shadow Gallery - Shadow Gallery
5. Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction
6. Caron, Ecay, Lockwood - Caron, Ecay, Lockwood
7. Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Fire & Ice

1993

1. Alain Caron - Le Band
2. Glenn Hughes - L.A. Blues Authority vol. II
3. Savatage - Edge of Thorns
4. Tribal Tech - Face First
5. Sepultura - Chaos A.D.
6. Magellan - Impending Ascention

1994

1. Dream Theater - Awake
2. Ozric Tentacles - Arborescence
3. Blues Saraceno - Hairpick
4. Dixie Dregs - Full Circle
5. Scott Henderson - Dog Party
6. Cairo - Cairo

1995

1. Symphony X - The Damnation Game
2. Savatage - Dead Winter Dead
3. Shadow Gallery - Carved in Stone
4. Arena - Songs from the Lions Cage
5. Dream Theater - A Change of Season
6. Stratovarius - Fourth Dimension
7. Royal Hunt - Clown in the Mirror
8. Popa Chubby - Booty and the Beast
9. Alain Caron - Rythm 'n' Jazz
10. Tribal Tech - Reality Check

1996

1. Angra - Holy Land
2. Ayreon - Actual Fantasy
3. Artension - Into the Eye of the Storm
4. Stratovarius - Episode
5. Arena - Pride
6. Patrick Rondat - Amphibia
7. Greg Howe - Five
8. Glenn Hughes - Addiction
9. Enchant - Wounded
10. Lemur Voice - Insights

1997

1. Elegy - State of Mind
2. Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy
3. Royal Hunt - Paradox
4. Artension - Phoenix Rising
5. Rhapsody - Legendary Tales
6. John West - Mind Journey
7. Vitalij Kuprij - High Definition
8. Stratovarius - Visions
9. Niacin - Niacin
10. Alain Caron - Play

1998

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1999

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2000

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